^574 


Ia          i 

>]  A  = 

1  A- 

^^_  CO 

^^^"  r~) 

1  0  — 

C 

1  0  — 

J3 

i  0  — 

==   ID 

i  6  = 

O 

G  6  ^ 

^^^  t~ 

18  = 

1— 

:  3D 

.-         ^ 

1  8  — 

J> 

1  9  = 

^  —1 

■      p     SSS 

V 

■i 


Andrews 


Life  and  adventures  of  Captain  Robert  W,  Andrews 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


'A     N   's5nDojA.9  — ^^ 


THE 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES 


OF 


Capt.  Robert  W.  Andrews, 


OF 


SUMTER,  SOUTH  CAROLINA. 


EXTENDING  OVER  A  PERIOD  OF  97  YEARS. 


REPLETE    WITH    STARTLING    SITUATIONS    AND     INTEREST 

ING   INCIDENTS.      TOGETHER   WITH    REMINISCENCES 

OF    THE    WAR    OF     l8l2,     AND    THE    RECENT 

"  UNPLEASANTNESS  "    BETWEEN   THE 

NORTH    AND    SOUTH. 


BOSTON: 

PKINTED  FOR  THE  AUTHOR   BY  E.  P.  WHITCOMM. 

1887. 


T 


< 


/J 


i 


* 


^■^__^ 


i 


Rk 


THE 


LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES 


OF 


Capt.  Robert  W.  Andrews, 


OF 


SUMTER,  SOUTH  CAROLINA. 


EXTENDING  OVER  A  rERIOD  OF  97  YEARS. 


REPLETE    WITH    STARTLING    SITUATIONS    AND    INTEREST- 
ING  INCIDENTS.      TOGETHER   WITH    REMINISCENCES 
OF     THE    WAR    OF     l8l2,     AND    THE    RECENT 
"  UNPLEASANTNESS  "    BETWEEN   THE 
NORTH    AND    SOUTH. 


BOSTON: 

TKINTED  FOR  THE  AUTHOR   BY  E.  P.  VVHITCOMR. 

1887. 


( 


^GGNTEiNT^S.i^ 

• 

PAGE 

Frontispiece  ,,.... 

I 

Title  Page       ...... 

3 

Contents          ...... 

4—5 

Preface            ...... 

7 

Childhood's  Days             .... 

9 

First  trip  to  Boston  in  1812   . 

10 

Ship-building  in  Maine,  1813  to  1815     . 

1 1 

Butchering  in  Buffalo — The  Wager 

12 

First  return  home           .          .          . 

13 

Second  trip  North           .... 

14 

Return  home,  and  subsequent  trip  to   Illinois 

15 

Perils  of  the  prairie         .... 

16 

Arrival  at  Vandalia — The  bee-hunters    . 

17 

The  panther  and  the  bear 

18—20 

Trading  for  a  horse         .... 

21 

The  intoxicated  stranger 

22 

The  two  narrow  escapes  of  Mr.  Brooks 

23—24 

My  first  marriage — 1823 

25 

Detective  work       ..... 

26 — 27 

Running  a  hotel — The  two  strangers     . 

28  —  29 

Waterie  Swamp     ..... 

30—31 

Dealing  in  horses           .         .          .          .          . 

32  —  36 

The  stolen  horse             .... 

37       38 

CONTENTS. 


CT 


Followed  by  the  sheriff  .  .  .  . 

More  detective  work — A  trip  to  New  Orleans 

The  slave  market 

Trip  to  Alabama  in    1835 

Death  of  my  wife  in    1836 

A  romantic  weddin^r 

The  recent  war 

Secreting  valuables  from  the  invading  army 

A  week  in  the  swamp     . 

The  campfire  .... 

Sumter  in  ruins      .... 

Serving  as  chief  of  police  in  Sumter 

Enforcing  the  law — The  negro  and  the  sword 

A  negro  riot 

Bitten  by  a  rattlesnake 

Trip  to  Texas 

Third  trip  North 

A  narrow  escape 

"  No  concealed  weapons  at  the  hotel 

Fido  stolen 

The  condition  of  the  negro 

Return  home — Two  shots  at  a  thief 

Fourth  trip  to  Boston 

Clippings  from  the  Press 

References 

My  Children 


39- 

-40 

• 

41 

42- 

-43 

44 

45 

46 

47 

48 

49- 

-50 

52- 

-53 

• 

54 

• 

54 

cane 

55 

56- 

-57 

• 

58 

• 

59 

• 

60 

. 

61 

62- 

-(^5 

64- 

-65 

66- 

-67 

• 

68 

• 

69 

70- 

-79 

80- 

-87 

• 

88 

862513 


A 


1. 


#PRE;FAGEi.^ 


It  is  with  somewhat  of  hesitancy  that  I  place  before 
the  general  pubHc  this  story  of  my  life,  embracing  a 
period  of  ninety-seven  years;  as  it  may  not  prove  of  suf- 
ficient interest  to  enchain  the  attention  of  those  to  whom 
I  am  an  utter  stranger;  but  to  my  family,  and  to  many 
personal  friends,  I  trust  that  it  may  be  found  agreeable 
and  instructive  reading. 

This  history  is  compiled  from  notes  made  by  myself, 
during  these  many  years,  and  is  truthful  in  every  respect — ■ 
not  in  the  least  exaggerated. 

I  have,  however,  expressed  some  of  my  sentiments,  by 
placing    them    in  the    mouths   of  the    several    characters. 

I  am  greatly  indebted  to  Mr.  Malton  Downing,  a  Boston 
journalist,  for  his  services,  in  compiling  and  editing  this 
work;  and  also  to  Mr.  E.  P.  Whitcomb,  the  publisher, 
who  has  assisted  me  in  many  ways. 

Hoping  that  this  brief  sketch  of  the  long  and  eventful  life 
of  a  true  American    citizen    may  meet  with  favor,  I  am, 
Yours,  with  respect, 

Capt.  ROBT.  W.  ANDREWS, 

Boston,  Mass.,  April,  1887. 


I 


-#ST0RY  GF  MY  LIFE.^ 


IT  WAS  in  the  little  picturesque  town  of  Statesburg,   in 
Sumter  District,  South  Carolina,  in  the  year   1 790, 
and  fourth  day  of  July,  that  I  first  saw  the  light  of  day. 

My  parents  had  emigrated  from  Northampton,  Va., 
shortly  before  my  birth,  and  settled  in  a  pretty  little  cot- 
tage on  the  Old  Federal  Road,  which  led  from  the  North- 
ern States  through  to  Charleston,  S.  C. 

My  father  was  an  industrious  mechanic —  a  wagon  and 
carriage  maker, —  and  carried  on  that  business  for  many 
years,  or  until  he  had  reached  the  good  old  age  of  seventy- 
nine  years.  He  had  brought  up  a  family  of  twelve  child- 
ren, all  of  whom  he  started  well  in  the  world,  for  he  had, 
by  industry  and  frugality,  amassed  a  snug  little  fortune, 
at  least  that  is  for  those  times. 

It  was  in  the  month  of  October,  181 2,  that  the  monot- 
ony of  my  young  life  was  for  the  first  time  broken  in  up- 
on. It  was  then  that  a  gentleman  named  Curtis  Bruce, 
an  itinerant  peddler,  stopped  at  our  house  to  rest.  He 
had  two  beautiful  five-horse  teams,  and  I  thought  them  the 
finest  that  could  be  had.  His  wagons  were  loaded  with 
cotton  and  wool  cards,  shoes  and  jewelry  for  the  Charles- 
ton market.  While  on  this  stop  his  teamster  was  taken 
sick,  and,  after  a  long  talk  with  my  parents,  I  was  em- 
ployed to  take  his  place,  and  drive  one  of  the  heavy  wagons 
to  the  end  of  the  journey;  and  it  was  with  ill-concealed 
pride  that  I  passed  ni)'  young    associates  on  our  way  out 

of  my  native    township,  which  was  destined  not  to  ofifer 
2 


lO  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

me  a  permanent  home  for  several  years.  At  Charleston 
we  loaded  cotton  and  furs  for  Boston,  and  began  the  then 
long  and  weary  journey  to  the  North.  In  passing  through 
Statesburg  the  sick  man  was  taken  up,  but  as  he  was  not 
able  to  work  I  was  retained. 

x\s  may  be  supposed,  the  country  through  which  we  were 
obliged  to  pass  was  wild  and  uninhabited.  We  were  heav- 
ily armed  to  protect  ourselves,  not  only  from  the  profes- 
sional highwaymen,  but  from  many  of  the  settlers,  who  too 
often  looked  upon  our  loads  and  horses  with  covetous  eyes. 

On  reaching  Boston,  Mr.  Bruce,  my  employer,  sold  out 
his  freight,  and  went  to  his  home  in  Marlboro,  Mass., 
where  he  bought  more  teams,  and  again  loaded  up  for 
Charleston,  which  we  reached  in  due  time. 

On  our  return,  loaded  the  same  as  before,  we  got  as  far 
as  New  York,  where  we  received  an  ofter  from  the  govern- 
ment to  convey  gold  and  silver  to  Boston. 

Disposing  of  our  goods,  which  we  had  brought  from 
Charleston,  we  took  on  the  freight  of  precious  metal,  and, 
under  an  escort  of  four  army  officers,  proceeded  on  our 
way. 

We  met  with  little  or  no  trouble  until  we  reached  Bridge- 
port, Conn.,  where  we  were  detained  nearly  twenty-four 
hours,  having  arrived  there  on  Sunday,  and  it  was  against 
the  law  "  to  travel  on  the  Sabbath;"  for  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  this  was  in  the  old  Blue-Law  times. 

We  reached  Boston  all  right,  however,  and  gave  the 
horses  a  long  rest,  in  order  to  fatten  them  up. a  little,  in- 
tending them  for  the  market;  for  their  long  journey  had 
caused  them  to  assume  somewhat  of  an  angular  appear- 
ance, and,  in  fact,  it  had  been  the  habit  of  us  teamsters,  for 
a  week  before  reaching  Boston,  to  throw  our  reins  over 
their  hip-bones  whenever  we  made  a  short  halt. 

But  my  employer,  Bruce,  was  a  stirring  man,  and  could 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  I  1 

not  remain  idle  long;  so  we  loaded  up  again,  but  this  time 
we  turned  our  faces  toward  the  State  of  Maine,  which  then 
offered  a  good  field  for  enterprising  }'oung  men. 

Wiscasset  was  our  first  stopping-place ;  then  proceed- 
ed nine  miles  up  Dyer's  River  to  a  place  called  Newcastle, 
and  there  opened  a  small  store,  and  disposed  of  our  goods 

It  was  at  this  time  that  our  attention  was  called  to  the 
business  which  has  given  to  the  Pine  Tree  State  a  world- 
wide reputation — ship-building. 

The  result  of  our  labors  in  this  line  was  one  schooner 
and  one  ship,  both  of  which  we  launched,  broadside  to,  at 
high  water.  After  two  years  in  the  ship-building  business, 
we  returned  to  Massachusetts. 

I  had  now  contracted  a  love  for  a  roving  life,  and  could 
not  content  myself  on  a  farm,  as  my  friend  Bruce  did  ;  and 
a  few  months  after  leaving  Wiscasset  found  me  going  to  sea 
before  the  mast,  on  the  coast. 

After  a  life  of  two  years  on  the  briny  deep,  my  next 
experience  was  in  New  York  city,  teaming  materials  for 
the  new  market. 

After  eight  months  of  this  kind  of  work  I  went  up  the 
river  to  Albany,  thence  through  the  canal  to  Buffalo  ;  and 
then,  after  a  short  time,  went  back  to  Palmyra,  N.  Y.,  and 
engaged  work  with  a  Mr.  Colt,  in  the  butchering  business. 

It  was  while  here  that  an  amusing  instance  occurred, 
and  one  which  brought  in  a  few  dollars  to  my  pocket. 

There  were  two  men  at  work  in  the  same  establishment, 
who  greatly  flattered  themselves  on  their  skill  in  skinning 
sheep. 

Now,  these  sheep  were  not  slaughtered  for  the  market, 
but  their  carcasses,  except  hind  (juarters  and  hearts,  were 
boiled  up  to  make  tallow  for  candles  ;  the  quarters  were 
smoked  for  venison  hams,  and  the  hearts  were  sent  to  the 
State's  prison. 


13  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

Annoyed  at  the  braggadocio  constantly  indulged  in  by 
these  men,  I  made  a  wager  of  one  hundred  dollars  with 
them  that  I  could  produce  a  man  who  could  take  off  more 
pelts  in  one  day  than  cither  one  of  them.  My  champion, 
was  sent  for,  and  the  twenty-second  day  of  March,  1824, 
was  the  time  set  for  the  test  of  skill. 

At  sundown  our  opponents  cried  "  Hold  !"  and,  on 
counting  the  skins,  it  was  found  that  my  man  had  won  the 
bet  by  nineteen  skins.  This  feat  secured  my  friend  a 
good  position  in  the  same  employment;  and  he  and  I  re- 
mained with  Mr.  Colt  some  time,  receiving  forty  dollars 
per  month,  and  two  dollars  per  night  for  watching  the  ket- 
tles in  which  the  meat  was  boiled  —  we  alternating  nights. 

On  leaving  Palmyra,  went  directly  to  New  York,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  honey  business,  which  I  found  quite  profita- 
ble for  one  season  ;  when  the  desire  to  again  visit  Massa- 
chusetts took  possession  of  me,  and  I  started  for  Boston, 
where  a  good  offer  to  drive  the  stage  from  Marlboro  to 
Sudbury  was  offered  me.  I  engaged  in  this  work  for 
awhile,  but  it  did  not  suit  me,  and  I  again  started -South ; 
this  time  traveling  by  water  to  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  the 
one  hundred  and  three  miles  to  Statesburg  I  covered  on 
foot,  making  the  distance  in  thirty-two  hours,  or  from  ten 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  one  day,  to  six  in  the  evening 
of  the  following  day. 

On  reaching  my  former  home  I  applied  to  my  mother 
for  a  night's  lodging,  but  the  seven  years  of  my  absence 
had  made  such  a  change  in  my  appearance  that  she  did 
not  know  me  and  said,  "No,  we  do  not  keep  a  public 
house,  and  do  not  take  in  travelers." 

I  had  purposely  assumed  a  very  rough  manner  in  ad- 
dressing her,  and  it  was  no  wonder  that  she  was  loathe  to 
admit  any  such  a  stranger  as  I. 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDRKWS.  1 3 

"Well,  ma'am,"  I  replied,  "  I  have  walked  from  Charles- 
ton and  am  very  tired." 

Now  the  old  lady  began  to  mistrust  who  it  was,  and 
looking  closeh"  at  me  inquired,  "Where  do  you  live,  young 
man,  when  \-ou're  at  home?" 

"In  this  district,"  I  replied  ;  "Good  night,  madam,  I  must 
find  some  other  place  to  rest  to-night,"  and  turning  away, 
started  to  cross  the  road,  when  my  \-ounger  brother,  who 
had  been  listening  to  the  conversation,  called  out,  "That 
is  brother  Robert!" 

"Call  him  back,  call  him  back!"  cried  my  mother,  now 
thoroughly  aroused. 

I  felt  sorry  that  I  had  so  played  upon  the  old  lady's 
feelings,  but  she  forgave  me,  and  our  re-union  was  a  happy 
one.  I  could  not  be  contented,  however,  to  remain  long 
in  this  quiet  little  place;  and  as  soon  as  I  could  finish  up 
some  business,  which  took  me  about  a  month,  I  again  re- 
sumed my  travels. 

During  my  stay  at  home,  the  arrival  of  my  brother 
James  from  the  West  lent  additional  pleasure  to  my  visit. 
My  father  was  now  dead,  and  my  brother,  who  was  carry- 
ing on  the  carpentering  business  in  Kanaka  County,  Ala- 
bama, had  come  on  to  take  the  rest  of  the  family  back 
with  him  to  the  West.  After  settling  up  my  father's  es- 
tate, and  receiving  my  portion,  I  started  for  McLeanberg 
County,  North  Carolina,  to  visit  my  sisters,  who  had  mar- 
ried, and  settled  in  that  section.  For  several  months  I 
traveled  through  the  states  of  North  and  South  Carolina, 
trading  horses. 

Changing  climates  so  often  brought  on  an  attack  of 
chills  and  fever,  and  I  was  obliged  to  come  North.  Sell- 
ing my  horse  in  Fayetteville,  I  took  the  boat  to  Wilming- 
ton, and  from  thence  to  New  York  by  steamboat.  Here 
I   placed   myself  under  the  care  of    Dr.    Ilildreth,   to   be 


14  I-IFE   AND   ADVENTURES    OF 

treated  for  an  internal  abscess  in  my  side,  the  relics  of  the 
fever.  I  had  at  this  time,  the  year  1822,  eleven  hundred 
dollars  in  my  possession  ;  all  but  seven  dollars  of  which  I 
put  into  the  doctor's  hands,  with  the  request  that  should  I 
die,  he  would  send  it  to  my  mother;  but  if  I  should  re- 
cover he  was  to  deduct  his  fee  and  give  me  the  balance. 
He  referred  me  to  a  boarding-house  near  his  office,  and 
instructed  me  to  call  upon  him  every  morning,  when  he 
would  set  me  to  work  at  some  light  labor,  such  as  mixing 
medicines  or  rolling  pills;  this  was  to  give  me  needed  ex- 
ercise and  occupy  my  mind.  He  advised  me  to  eat  what- 
ever my  appetite  craved,  and  as  much  as  I  wanted.  The 
question  now  was,  and  one  upon  which  my  life  depended : 
where  was  the  abscess  to  break?  If  in  the  stomach,  I  was 
safe;  but  if  below,  it  would  result  in  almost  instant  death. 
One  day,  while  seated  at  the  table  eating  a  hearty  dinner, 
the  crisis  came.  The  sensation  was  like  an  electric  shock, 
and  my  present  hale  and  hearty  condition  goes  to  show 
that  the  abscess  found  vent  in  the  least  vulnerable  part. 
The  doctor  was  not  only  surprised,  but  greatly  pleased 
with  the  prospects  of  my  now  speedy  recovery.  It  was, 
however,  two  weeks  before  the  kind  physician  gave  me 
leave  to  go  out  from  under  his  hands.  After  paying  my 
board  I  said,  "Now  doctor,  what  do  I  owe  you?"  "Noth- 
ing, my  boy,  nothing,"  he  said.  "When  I  find  an  honest 
young  man,  I  want  to  assist  him  ;  follow  the  course  you 
have  marked  out,  and  you  will  grow  up  to  be  a  true  man 
and  good  citizen."  Which  advice  I  have  endeavored  to  fol- 
low throughout  my  long  and  eventful  life. 

Dr.  Hildreth  afterwards  introduced  me  to  the  Captain 
of  the  ship  "Sarah  and  Caroline,"  on  which  I  shipped  for 
Boston  as  "able  seaman." 

On  arriving  in  Boston  I  re-visited  Marlboro,  and  again 
drove  the  stage  for  about  two  years,  between  that  place 


CAPT.    ROBERT   \V.    ANDREWS.  I  5 

and  SudburN'.  Wantinfr  to  see  mv  own  home  ajjain,  I 
started  for  the  southward  by  wav  of  staee-coaches ;  this 
was  in  the  year  of  1824.  Upon  my  return  to  Statesburg, 
I  worked  at  carpentering,  and  employed  three  men  and  a 
cook.  While  in  this  business  I  met  Mr.  IMiddleton 
Brooks,  who  kept  the  tavern  in  Statesburg,  who  offered 
me  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  and  expenses  to  go  to 
Vandalia,  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  for  his  father.  I  had 
then  a  "trotting  horse,"  which  I  sold  and  bought  one  more 
fitted  for  the  trip.  I  left  m)'-  men  in  charge  of  ni}'  carpen- 
tering business,  and,  on  June  5th,  1825,  started  for  Illinois, 
passing  through  Camblin  and  Lancaster,  South  Carolina 
and  Charlottetown  and  Salsbury,  North  Carolina,  through 
Brunswick  County,  across  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains,  by 
the  Swannana  Gap,  into  Tennesee ;  passed  through  that 
State  and  Kentucky,  to  the  Ohio  river,  which  I  reached  at 
Hudson's  Ferry. 

I  hastened  to  cross  the  stream,  as  there  had  been  a 
murder  committed  at  Hudson's  Ferry  the  morning  of  my 
arrival,  and  I  thought  that  I  might  be  an  object  of  suspi- 
cion. It  was  nearly  dark  when  I  reached  the  Illinois  side. 
The  place  where  I  landed  was  rocky  and  mountainous,  the 
road  leading  through  ledges  and  hills. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  river,  I  was  shot  at.  I  ran  my 
horse  for  a  mile  and  a  half,  until  I  came  to  the  house  of  a 
farmer  named  Nettles.  I  told  him  my  story,  and  he  gave 
as  his  opinion,  that  it  must  have  been  the  murderer  who 
fired  the  shot  at  mc,  wanting  to  get  my  horse,  in  order  to 
make  his  escape.  I  stayed  all  night  at  the  house  of  this 
hospitable  farmer,  who  would  not  accept  any  pay  for  his 
kindness. 

He  asked  if  I  was  alone,  and  upon  my  telling  him  that  I 
was,  he  remarked  thati  w  as  the  first  man   he  had  known 


I 6  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

to  pass   through  that    section  of   the    country  without  a 
companion. 

At  daylight  I  started  in  onto  the  prairie,  with  sixty  miles 
before  me  to  make  before  sundown,  or  "  lay  out  "  and  be 
devoured  by  panthers.  At  noon  I  fed  my  horse  on  a  fru- 
gal meal,  consisting  of  two  loaves  of  corn-bread,  and  after 
giving  him  a  short  rest,  resumed  my  journey.  Just  as  it 
began  to  grow  dark,  I  saw  a  light  directly  ahead,  which 
appeared  to  be  some  two  miles  distant. 

Feeling  quite  pleased  at  having  covered  so  much  ground 
since  morning  with  so  little  fatigue,  for  I  was  scarcely 
tired,  and  being  assured  that  comfortable  quarters  for  the 
night  were  near  at  hand,  I  allowed  the  horse  to  jog  along 
at  an  easy  canter.  Half  an  hour  after  first  making  the 
light,  it  was  quite  dark,  and  although  I  had  ridden  over 
two  miles,  the  fire  for  which  I  was  heading  seemed  as  far 
off  as  before.  It  was  then  that  the  gentle  evening  breeze 
bore  to  my  ears  a  sound,  which,  I  am  not  ashamed  to  ad- 
mit, filled  me  with  consternation  and  alarm :  it  was  the 
wild  cry  of  the  panther  away  to  the  right  of  the  trail, 
quickly  answered  by  another  on  the  left,  and  taken  up  by 
one  in  my  wake ;  then  others  joined  in,  until  it  seemed  as 
if  I  was  completely  surrounded  by  the  fierce  beasts. 

The  grass  through  which  the  path  led  was  as  high  as 
the  horse's  back  on  which  I  rode,  and  through  this  heavy 
growth  of  vegetation  I  could  plainly  hear  the  approaching 
panthers,  as  they  bounded  towards  me. 

My  horse  also  took  the  alarm,  and  shied  and  plunged 
fearfully,  as  his  keen  scent  detected  the  close  proximity 
of  the  ferocious  brutes.  But  the  animal  had  been  well 
"broken,"  and,  with  a  soothing  word  and  a  gentle  caress,  I 
succeeded  in  allaying  somewhat  of  his  fear. 

As  before  stated,  I  was  travelling  at  an  easy  gait  when 
first  startled  by  the  cry  of  the  panther,  and  as  I  had  been 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  1 7 

warned  never  to  increase  the  speed  of  my  horse  when  sur- 
rounded by  panthers,  I  summoned  all  the  nerve  and  cour- 
age I  possessed,  and  kept  my  steed  down  to  his  usual  easy 
canter. 

Oh,  how  slowly  the  time  dragged,  and  how  far  away 
the  light  seemed. 

It  was  all  of  three  hours  after  dark  when  I  rode  into  the 
circle  of  light  which  had  been  my  beacon  since  sunset.  Four 
men  stood  beside  the  fire  of  a  hunters'  camp,  with  their 
rifles  in  their  hands,  and  peered  out  anxiously  into  the 
darkness,  wondering  who  or  what  it  was  that  was  approach- 
ing them  from  across  the  prairie. 

•'  My  God  !  stranger,  where  did  you  come  from?"'  called 
out  the  leader,  as  I  rode  into  the  full  glare  of  the  light. 

"From  the  sixty-mile  house,"  I  replied.  "  And  I  am 
bound  to  Vandalia.  I  was  told  I  should  find  another  house 
hereabouts." 

"And  so  you  will,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  further  on,  but 
you'd  better  stay  with  us,"  continued  the  hunter. 

I  thanked  him  ;  but  told  him  I  thought  I  would  push 
on,  as  it  was  so  short  a  distance,  and  I  wanted  to  stable  my 
horse;  and  so  saying,  I  bade  them  good-night,  and  con- 
tinued on  my  way.  Shortly  after,  and  without  any  further 
adventures,  I  arrived  at  the  house  of  a  kind  and  hospita- 
ble farmer,  where  I  remained  one  day  and  then  proceeded 
on  my  way  to  Vandalia,  which  place  I  reached  at  the  ex- 
piration of  three  days. 

On  arriving  at  Vandalia  I  inquired  for  Mr.  Banning, 
who  was  a  son-in-law  of  old  gentleman  Brooks.  Mr.  Ban- 
ning was  then  out  in  the  forests,  hunting  honey  with  a  small 
party  of  his  neighbors  ;  but  I  found  the  object  of  my  jour- 
ney in  charge  of  the  house. 

The  bee-hunter's  outfit  consisted  of  one  horse  and  flat 
slide,  on  which  was  lashed  the  barrel  destined  to  hold  the 


1 8  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

honey;  also  to  this  shde,  or  drag,  was  fastened  a  small 
store  of  provisions  and  ammunition;  and  on  their  return 
trip,  the  skins  of  animals  which  had  been  killed,  as  well  as 
some  game. 

The  dense  swamps  throughout  the  state  of  Illinois  af- 
forded extensive  homes  for  the  wild  bee,  and  the  hunter 
was  always  well  rewarded  for  his  labor.  On  finding  a  nest, 
the  honey  was  strained  into  the  barrel,  and  the  comb,  for 
the  most  part,  thrown  awa\' ;  and  when  all  of  the  party 
had  filled  up  their  barrels,  the  return  trip  was  begun. 

After  waiting  one  day  at  Vandalia,  the  party  headed  by 
Mr.  Banning  returned,  well  laden  with  the  result  of  their 
hunt. 

These  hardy  settlers  proved  genial  hosts,  and  as  the 
only  diversion  in  that  then  far-away  country  was  to  hunt, 
a  party  was  made  up  for  my  especial  benefit,  and  after  one 
nisht's  rest  we  started  into  the  woods. 

At  a  distance  of  some  six  miles  from  Mr.  Banning's 
house,  my  new  friends  had  built  a  comfortable  log  cabin,  to 
serve  as  a  place  of  shelter  for  themselves,  their  dogs  and 
their  horses  while  on  a  hunt,  as  the  panthers  and  wolves 
were  so  plentiful  that  it  would  have  been  dangerous  to  re- 
main in  the  open  air  over  night. 

A  calf  was  taken  along  to  be  used  as  bait  for  the  large, 
fierce  game  for  which  we  were  in  search  ;  and  just  before 
nightfall,  portions  of  the  flesh  of  the  unfortunate  quadruped 
were  secured  by  chains  to  the  house,  one  piece  on  either  side 
of  the  cabin.  The  reason  for  so  fastening  these  pieces  of 
fresh  meat  was,  that  otherwise  the  panthers  would  have 
pounced  upon  them  and  robbed  us  of  our  bait,  before  we 
could  get  a  shot  at  them. 

Scarcely  had  the  sun  set,  when  the  fearful  cry  of  the 
panther,  and  the  long-drawn  howl  of  the  wolf  resounded 
on  every  side. 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  1 9 

First  they  came  in  single  calls,  which  were  quickly 
answered  by  others,  denoting  that  the  fierce  beasts  were 
gathering  from  near  and  afar,  attracted  hither  by  the 
smell  of  the  fresh  blood  of  the  poor  calf.  Closer  and 
closer  drew  our  expected  game,  until  with  a  graceful 
bound,  a  magnificent  specimen  of  a  panther  leaped  into 
the  clearing.  Scarcely,  however,  had  he  shown  himself, 
when  the  crack  of  a  rifle  bespoke  his  doom,  and  the  fero- 
cious animal  la\'  dead  beside  his  wished-for  feast. 

The  moon,  which  was  nearly  at  its  full,  shed  a  bright 
light  into  the  clearing,  and  it  was  not  long  after  the  first 
shot  was  fired,  when  the  approaching  cries,  and  the  crack- 
ling of  the  underbrush  warned  us  that  the  hungry  animals 
were  not  in  the  least  alarmed  by  the  fate  which  had  over- 
taken their  companion. 

A  panther,  fully  as  large  as  the  first-comer,  crept  up  to 
the  tempting  bait,  placed  there  to  lure  him  to  his  death; 
but  scarcely  had  he  buried  his  sharp  teeth  in  the  savory 
morsel,  when  an  unusual  disturbance  in  the  forest  warned 
him  that  another  one  was  coming  to  the  feast. 

The  noise  made  by  this  new-comer  told  us  watchers  that  it 
was  not  a  panther  ;  and  sure  enough,  for  the  huge,  shaggy 
object  which  shuffled  out  from  under  the  dark  shadow  of 
the  trees,  bore  the  outlines  of  the  bear !  The  brute 
paused  for  a  moment  at  the  edge  of  the  clearing,  as 
though  taking  in  the  dimensions  of  his  predecessor  at  the 
feast,  then,  as  though  satisfied  that  he  was  the  panther's 
superior,  he  uttered  a  threatening  growl,  and  rushed  fran- 
tically upon  his  enemy.  Now  began  one  of  the  fiercest  bat- 
tles that  I  have  ever  seen  waged  between  wild  beasts. 
The  bear  threw  himself  upon  his  back,  and  with  his  long, 
sharp  claws  struck  at  the  vitals  of  his  antagonist,  while 
the  panther  could  not  reach  him  at  all.  There  could  be  no 
doubt  as  to  the  result  of  the  combat,  had  not  our  rifles  an- 


20  life:  and  adventures   of 

ticipated  the  issue,  by  laying  them  both   lifeless,   side  by 
side  ! 

Though  the  nights   afforded  great  sport   to  us   hunters, 
the  day's  work  was  far  more  exciting,  for  it  was  now  that 
we  went  in  search  of  the  deer.     Through   this  portion  of 
the  country  the  surfaee  was  broken  by  numerous  patches 
of  vegetation,   known  in  these   sections  as  "  cane-sinks," 
where    the    cane,    which    grows    very    thickly    together, 
reaches  a  height   of  from  eight  to  ten  feet,  and  covers  over  . 
a  space  not  unfrequently  two  acres  in  extent.     Into  these 
sinks  the  deer  penetrated  in  great  numbers,  feeding   upon 
the  tender  shoots  of  the  cane. 

Our  custom  was  to  surround  one  of  these  "sinks,"  and 
when  all  was  ready,  raise  a  loud  cry,  when  the  startled 
deer  would  come  tearing  out,  only  to  fall  before  the  un- 
erring fire  of  the  hunter.  On  this  hunt  which  I  enjoyed 
with  my  new  friend,  we  secured  six  panthers,  five  bears, 
eleven  deer,  six  wolves  and  one  tiger. 

At  this  time,  and  in  this  far-away  country,  the  skins  of 
the  deer  were  not  worth  five  cents  apiece,  and  the  only 
portion  of  the  carcass  which  was  consumed  was  the  hind- 
quarters. After  reaching  the  home  of  Mr.  Banning,  his 
father-in-law,  Mr.  Brooks,  was  very  anxious  to  start  home. 
Mr.  Brooks,  who  was  ninety-six  years  of  age,  was  too  old 
a  man  to  think  of  attempting  the  long  weary  journey  back 
to  South  Carolina  on  horseback,  and  it  became  necessary 
to  procure  a  carriage  for  him.  My  horse  however,  was 
not  fitted  for  work  in  a  carriage,  and  I  had  to  purchase 
another.  Visiting  Vandalia,  which  was  some  three  miles 
from  my  friend's  house,  I  met  a  gentleman  who  had  just 
such  a  horse  as  I  wanted. 

"What  is  your  price?"  I  asked,  looking  at  the  animal. 

"Well,  Stranger,"  he  replied,  eyeing  the  horse  with  the 
air  of  a  man  who  was  a  connoisseur  in  horse-flesh,  "If  that 


CAPT.    ROBERT    \V.    ANDREWS.  2  1 

'ere  critter  was  only  broke  to  the  saddle,  you  couldn't  buy 
him  for  a  good  deal  of  money ;  but  for  a  carriage  he  can't 
be  beat  for  a  hundred  dollars.  What  do  )-ou  say  to  a  hun- 
dred dollars?" 

*'\Vould  it  be  worth  more  if  it  was  a  good  saddle  horse?" 
I  asked. 

"Yes  indeed,"  he  answered. 

"  Perhaps  you'd  like  a  good  saddle  horse?"  I  remarked  ; 
"  If  so,  I  have  got  as  good  a  one  as  there  is  in  the  whole 
State  of  Illinois,  but  you'd  have  to  give  me  considerable 
money  to  boot." 

"Well,  I  want  a  good  saddle  horse,"  he  answered. 

"  Then  bu}'  mine,  and  if  }'0u  don't  find  him  as  good  a 
beast  as  you  ever  backed,  I'll  give  him  to  you." 

He  mounted  my  horse  and  took  a  turn  of  about  ten 
minutes  in  length,  and  on  coming  back,  he  cried  — "  You've 
told  me  the  truth,  he  is  a  fine  horse.  Now  how  will  you 
trade?" 

"Just  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  youi  car- 
riage horse,"  I  answered. 

"  It's  a  bargain,  shake  hands  on  it,  and  here's  your 
money,"  counting  out  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in 
gold  into  my  hand. 

I  now  had  a  good  carriage  horse,  but  no  carriage,  and 
neither  could  I  find  one  in  Vandalia;  but  the  man  with 
whom  I  had  just  traded  referred  me  to  a  shoe-maker,  who 
lived  some  twelve  miles  from  there,  right  on  my  road,  who 
had  a  carriage  which  he  wished  to  sell,  and  I  could  do  no 
better  than  to  push  on  ;  so,  after  filling  my  saddle-bags 
with  provisions,  and  mounting  my  elderly  charge  upon  the 
back  of  our  on!)'  horse,  we  started  on  our  long  antl  dan- 
gerous journey,  I  walking  at  the  side  of  my  companion. 

Scarcely  had  we  covered  five  miles,  when  we  were  ap- 
proached by  a   }oung   stranger   who    was   mounted    on    a 


2  2  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

beautiful  horse,  which  he  was  urging  on  at  a  high  rate  of 
speed.  I  could  see  that  he  was  somewhat  under  the  influ- 
ence of  liquor,  and  that  it  was  with  difficulty  that  he  kept 
his  seat. 

"  Hallo,  Stranger,  you  are  the  very  man  that  I  am  look- 
ing for,"  cried  he,  reining  up  his  panting  steed  as  we 
came  together.  "  I'm  on  horseback  and  you're  a-foot, 
now  don't  you  want  to  buy  my  pony?  I'll  let  the  whole 
thing  go  cheap." 

A  glance  showed  me  that  he  was  beautifully  mounted, 
and  really  I  did  want  to  get  possession  of  his  horse. 
"  How  much  dp  you  want?  I  have  not  got  much  money 
with  me,"  I  answered. 

"  Well,  Stranger,  I  want  money  amazin'  bad,  and  if  you 
will  count  me  out  forty  dollars,  you  can  have  horse  and 
trappings." 

The  offer  was  small  enough,  but  I  did  not  want  him  to 
think  that  I  was  very  well  supplied  with  money,  so  I 
answered,  "  I  will  count  you  out  just  thirty-five  dollars  for 
him,  and  that's  the  best  I  can  do." 

"  Well,  he's  yours,"  after  a  slight  pause,  "  and  I'll  jump 
down." 

My  charge  had  meanwhile  ridden  on  ahead,  and  as  he 
had  all  my  money  in  the  saddle-bags,  I  requested  the 
young  stranger  to  ride  on  and  stop  him.  This  he  did,  and 
I  paid  him  thirty-five  dollars  with  more  satisfaction  than  I 
ever  paid  a  bill  before  in  my  life.  We  were  now  both  well 
mounted,  and  hurried  on  to  the  house  of  the  shoemaker, 
where  we  were  to  find  the  carriage ;  but  we  were  destined 
to  meet  with  an  adventure,  before  reaching  there,  which 
nearly  ended  the  mortal  career  of  my  aged  friend. 

After  riding  two  or  three  miles,  the  old  gentleman  sug- 
gested to  me  that  we  should  change  horses  ;  my  beast  was  a 
good  one  ;    he  knew  it,  and  desired  to  try  him.     To  humor 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  25 

my  charge,  I  allowed  him  to  back  the  newly-purchased 
horse,  I  mounting  the  one  which  had  been  bought  to  work 
in  the  carriage.  This  exchange  did  very  well,  until  we 
came  to  a  "  run  ;"  then  the  horse,  on  which  old  gentleman 
Brooks  was  riding,  "'  bucked,"  and  threw  him  over  his  head 
into  the  water.  Jumping  from  my  saddle,  I  caught  the 
bridle  of  the  new  horse  with  my  right  hand,  while  with 
my  left  I  grasped  the  coat  of  the  old  gentleman,  and 
placed  him  on  his  feet.  Tlie  water  in  the  "run  "  was  about 
three  feet  deep,  consequent!}^  he  was  none  the  worse  for 
his  little  wetting,  although  badly  frightened.  On  reaching 
the  other  side  of  the  stream,  Mr.  Brooks  re-mounted  the 
carriage  horse,  and  I  the  one  we  had  recently  bought,  and 
proceeded  on  our  way  to  find  the  shoemaker,  who  had  the 
carriage  for  sale.  It  was  not  until  nearly  sun-down  that 
we  drew  rein  before  the  cabin  of  the  owner  of  the  carr)--all. 

To  make  a  long  story  short,  we  bought  the  vehicle  and 
harness,  and  after  enjoying  a  night's  rest  in  the  house  of 
the  hospitable  shoemaker,  we  again  "  took  the  road." 

For  several  days  we  pursued  our  way,  he  driving  the 
horse  and  carry-all,  and  I  attending  him,  mounted  on  the 
horse  I  had  bought  from  the  stranger  shortly  after  leaving 
Vandalia. 

While  crossing  the  Blue  Ridge  by  way  of  the  Tennessee 
turnpike,  we  were  brought  up  at  a  toll-  gate,  where  I  ten- 
dered a  five  dollar  gold  piece  for  the  keeper  to  deduct  one 
dollar  toll  from. 

"  Well,  Stranger,  I  ain't  got  change  here  for  this  'ere 
gold  piece.  But  if  you'll  jest  hang  on  a  bit,  and  tend  this 
'ere  gate  for  me  till  I  run  down  to  the  house  yonder,  I'll 
fetch  )'our  change." 

Scarcely  had  the  toll-keeper  left  us,  than  the  horse  hitched 
to  the  carr)'-all  started  down  the  mountain  on  the  trot, 
carrying  with   him  the   man   for  whom   1  had  traveled   so 


24 


LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES    OF 


many  hundred  miles,  and  for  whose  safe  conduct  I  was 
pledged  in  honor  to  his  son.  No  sooner  had  the  runaway 
team  started  on  its  dangerous  career,  than  I  was  in  the 
saddle,  closely  following  its  erratic  course.  I  did  not  dare 
to  ride  up  alongside,  for  had  I  done  so  the  frightened 
animal  would  have  sheered  off  from  the  road,  and  dashing 
into  the  gully  beside  the  narrow  path,  the  result  would 
have  been  instant  death  for  man  and  beast. 

Two  several  times  I  started  to  leap  from  the  saddle  into 
the  back  of  the  team,  but  my  horse,  not  being  accustomed 
to  mountain  travel,  was  not  sure-footed  and  shied  as  I 
pressed  him  close  up  to  the  vehicle,  so  all  I  could  do  was 
to  follow  down  the  road,  and  trust  to  Providence  to  pre- 
serve the  life  of  my  aged  friend. 

It  was  about  a  mile,  as  near  as  I  can  reckon,  that  the 
team  continued  on  its  runaway  course,  when  I  saw  before 
me  a  fork  in  the  road. 

We  were  at  that  time  pretty  nearly  on  a  level  grade, 
but  the  horse  attached  to  the  carry-all  did  not  in  the  least 
slacken  his  rate  of  speed,  although  he  appeared  to  hesi- 
tate a  moment  as  to  which  road  he  should  take,  it  was  not 
long  before  he  made  his  choice  and  turned  to  the  right, 
but  his  slight  pause  was  sufficient  to  cause  him  to  collide 
with  a  decrepit  sign-post,  and  spill  my  aged  friend  uncere- 
moniously into  the  road. 

Fortunately,  Mr.  Brooks  was  not  very  badly  injured,  but 
the  horse  ran  nearly  half  a  mile  further  on,  and  into  the 
orchard  of   a  Capt.  Parker,  who  was  a  blacksmith. 

The  collision  had  broken  the  lynch-pin,  and  the  animal 
brought  up  at  last  with  the  forward  wheels  and  shafts 
intact. 

I  had  stopped  to  assist  my  charge,  but  finding  him  not 
so  badly  hurt  as  I  feared,  I  left  him,  and  went  on  to  Capt. 
Parker's  for  assistance. 


CAPT.    ROBERT     W.    ANDREWS.  2$ 

We  were  detained  here  repairing  damages  some  twelve 
days,  Capt.  Parker,  as  a  blacksmith,  doing  the  iron-work, 
while  I,  having  been  a  carriage-maker,  attended  to  the 
wood-work, 

I  scarcely  dared  to  trust  Mr.  Brooks  again  with  the 
horse  which  had  once  run  away  with  him,  and  was 
anxious  to  trade  or  sell,  and  through  the  kindness  of 
Capt.  Parker  I  swapped  the  horse  with  a  Mr.  Rodgers, 
the  Methodist  minister  in  this  place,  Knoxville,  Tenn. 
getting  twenty  dollars  to  boot. 

From  here  to  Sumter  county,  our  trip  was  without 
incident,  and  we  arrived  in  Statesburg  after  a  journey  of 
seven  months,  having  passed  through,  at  that  time,  the 
wildest  section    of  the  southwestern    country,  unharmed. 

My  total  cash  expenses  on  the  outward  trip  were 
$44.00,  and  on  the  home  trip  $68.00,  and  I  brought  the 
father  of  Mr.  Brooks  from  Vandalia,  Illinois,  for  $494.00. 

On  reaching  home,  in  the  fall  of  1823, 1  married  a  young 
widow-lady  named  Harriet  Starks,  of  Statesburg,  who  was 
at  that  time  owner  of  a  small  plantation  and  eleven  slaves. 

One  of  the  negroes,  being  a  first-class  man  in  every 
respect,  I  allowed  to  oversee  my  wife's  plantation,  while 
I  took  charge  of  a  large  plantation  for  Mr.  Samuel  J. 
Murray,  whose  propertynearly  adjoined  my  own.  Here 
we  worked  some  five-hundred  negroes  in  corn,  cotton,  rice 
and  general  produce. 

For  two  years  I  had  charge  of  Mr.  Murray's  place,  when 
I  bought  out,  from  Mr.  Middleton  Brooks,  the  man  whose 
father  I  had  safely  conveyed  from  the  West,  the  hotel 
which  he  had  kept  so  many  years  in  my  native  city,  for 
two  thousand  dollars,  and  fourteen  hundred  additional  for 
stock  and   fixtures. 

While  keeping    this  hotel,   a  valuable  slave,  who    was 
a  fine  mechanic,    a   cotton-gin   maker,  belonging  to    Mr. 
3 


26  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

William  Ellison,  made  a  break  for  the  Free  States.  Mr. 
Ellison,  offered  me  five  dollars  a  day,  to  find  me  a  horse 
and  pay  my  expenses,  if  I  would  bring  back  the  slave, 
whom  he  estimated  at  two  thousand  dollars  value. 

This  offer  was  a  tempting  one,  and  leaving  my  hotel  in 
charge  of  my  clerk,  and  a  good  boy  whom  I  owned  and 
whom  I  could  trust,  I  started  in  pursuit  of  the  runaway. 

The  first  day  I  rode  to  Manchester,  S.  C,  a  distance  of 
thirty-five  miles,  and  stopped  at  Watson's  Inn,  and 
here  traded  horses,  making  forty  dollars  on  the  bargain. 
It  was  here  that  I  heard  news  of  the  man  of  whom  1  had 
come  in  search.  He  had  joined  a  party  of  horse-jockeys, 
who  were  bound  to  Richmond,  Va.,  and  were  following 
the  old  Bellefield  Road.  Keeping  the  road  for  two  days, 
I  made  Fayetteville,  and  there  leaving  my  horse,  took  the 
stage  for  Bellefield,  Va.,  where  I  found  my  man.  I 
was  paid  on  returning  home,  $77.50,  and  $74.00  for  ex- 
penses. 

I  had  been  home  from  this  trip  scarcely  three  weeks, 
when  Mr.  Wentworth  Ress,  a  neighbor,  was  robbed  of  a 
fine  stallion,  valued  at  three  thousand  dollars,  and  he  re- 
quested my  services  in  recovering  the  animal,  offering  me 
the  same  renumeration  which  I  had  received  from  Mr.  El- 
lison, which  was  five  dollars  per  day,  a  horse,  and  expen- 
ses. Accepting  the  offer,  I  this  time  headed  for  Kings- 
tree,  S.  C,  and  interviewed  the  sheriff.  He  knew  nothing 
about  the  horse,  however,  but  said  : 

"  I've  got  a  tough  cuss  locked  up  here  for  being  drunk, 
and  he  looks  somewhat  like  as  though  he  might  steal  a 
horse.  Perhaps  you'd  better  come  down  and  look  at 
him." 

"What's  his  name?"  I  inquired. 

"  Now  I  can't  tell  you  what  his  name  is,  but  the  name 
he  gave  me  is  John  McLoughlin." 


CAPT.  ROBERT  \V.  ANDREWS.  2J 

"  John  McLoughlin?  that's  a  new  name  to  me  ;  however, 
sherift",   I'll   go  down  and  take  a  look  at  him." 

"  All  right,  come  along,"  and  away  we  started  for  the 
jail.  On  reaching  the  jail,  I  found  the  man  Mr.  John 
McLoughlin,  to  be  no  other  than  the  notorious  "  Black 
Jack,"  of  Sumter  County,  a  noted  horse  thief;  and  who, 
on  seeing  me  in  company  with  the  sherift",  threw  up  both 
hands  and  begged  for  mercy;  for  he  well  knew  that  the 
penalty  for  horse  stealing  in  those  daj^s,  and  in  that  sec- 
tion of  the  country,  was  nothing  else  than  death. 

"  Let  me  go,  Andrews,  let  me  go !  and  I'll  tell  you 
where  to  find  the  stallion,"  he  said. 

"  I've  got  nothing  to  do  with  you,  if  you'll  tell  me  where 
the  beast  is,"  I  replied. 

"  But  the  sheriff"  might  have,"  he  answered,  looking  at 
the  officer. 

"  If  Mr.  Andrews  don't  press  it,  I  wont." 

"  Don't  be  afraid  of  me,  Jack.  Tell  where  I'll  find 
the  horse,  and  you're  clear  for  all  of  me,"  I  replied. 

"Well,  he's  down  in  Sumter  District,  on  Richard  Dick- 
ey's plantation.  That's  where  I  left  him,  cause  I  did'nt 
dare  to  take  him  no  further." 

This  was  all  that  I  wanted,  and  leaving  word  with  the 
sheriff"  to  hold  the  man  until  I  had  verified  his  statement, 
I  started  for  the  home  of  Richard  Dickey,  where  I  found 
the  object  of  my  search,  a  magnificent  black  stallion,  which 
I  at  once  took  under  my  care  and  returned  to  Mr.  Ress, 
receiving  for  my  services  $150.00,  and  twelve  dollars  ex- 
tra from  Mrs.  Ress,  who  claimed  the  horse  as  her  special 
property. 

While  proprietor  of  this  hotel,  which  was  known  all 
over  this  section  of  the  country  as  Brook's  Inn,  I  bought 
five  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Clarendon  District,  South 
Carolina  ;    I  got  it  from  a  man  who  was  much   in   need   of 


28  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

money,  therefore  the  price  was  low ;  and  in  after  years  it 
stood  me  in  good  hand.  Now  it  must  be  remembered  that 
in  those  days,  1833,  the  hotels  or  inns  of  the  South  west, 
were  widely  different  from  what  they  are  at  the  present 
time  ;  then  the  landlord  of  a  hotel  was  the  principal  man  of 
the  section.  He  was  the  one  who  decided  all  bets,  and 
disbursed  the  news  of  the  day;  he  was  supposed  to  be 
authority  on  horse-flesh,  an  expert  at  cards,  a  keen  politi- 
cian, and,  withal,  a  judge  of  good  whiskey.  To  em- 
body these  various  qualifications,  when  becoming  a  suc- 
cessful Boniface,  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  have  con- 
nected with  my  establishment,  a  billiard  table,  a  nine-pin 
alley  (now  called  ten-pins),  a  bagatelle  table,  and  a  little 
side  room  for  a  game  of  "  poker;"  and  it  was  these  acces- 
sories which  came  near  bringing  my  mortal  career  to  a 
sudden  and  untimely  termination. 

I  had  in  my  house  at  this  time,  a  man  by  the  name  of 
John  Boyd,  horse-jockey,  faro-dealer  and  all-round  sport- 
ing man.  Sometimes  John  was  up,  and  sometimes  John 
was  down.  He  was  a  square  man,  and  I  would  always 
back  him  when  he  was  short  of  funds.  One  night,  soon 
after  I  returned  from  the  trip  on  which  I  had  captured  the 
valuable  stallion  for  Mr.  Ress,  two  strangers  bound  South, 
drew  up  before  the  door.  The  negro  boy  put  their  horses 
in  the  stable,  and  they,  of  course,  came  directly  to  the  bar, 
as  was  the  custom  in  those  days.  Boyd,  who  was  in  the 
room,  saw  here,  or  thought  he  saw,  a  chance  for  an  even- 
ing's good  sport,  and  very  soon  was  on  friendly  terms 
with  the  new-comers. 

After  supper,  and  an  hour  or  so  of  convivialty,  "just  a 
little  game"  was  proposed  ;  not  by  Boyd,  but  still  it  was 
just  what  he  wanted  ;  although  he  was  by  this  time  con- 
vinced vhat  he  had  found  "foeman  worthy  of  his  steel."  I,  of 
course,  took  a  hand,  and  things  went  on  to  suit  our  side 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  29 

for  several  deals,  which  very  much  annoyed  the  strangers, 
and  they  began  to  work  in  earnest. 

There  was  considerable  money  on  the  table,  in  fact,  it 
was  a  small  fortune,  when  one  of  our  opponents,  in  deal- 
ing, gave  to  his  partner  six  cards,  which  was  detected  by 
Boyd,  though  nothing  was  at  first  spoken  about  it.  The 
game  was  "straight,"  for  in  those  days  "draw  poker"  was 
not  known.  It  was  my  first  say,  and  I  "passed,"  and  the 
man  next  to  me  (he  who  had  received  six  cards),  made  a 
bet  of  fifty  dollars. 

"  I'll  see  your  fifty  dollars,  and  go  you  an  even  hundred 
better,  when  you  put  that  sixth  card  on  the  table!"  ex- 
claimed Boyd,  springing  to  his  feet. 

In  an  instant  all  was  confusion.  I  had  confidence 
enough  in  my  old  acquaintance  to  know  that  he  never 
would  have  spoken  as  he  did,  had  he  not  been  sure  of  his 
ground,  and  so  of  course,  I  came  to  his  back.  The  stran- 
gers, finding  themselves  detected  in  their  attempt  at  cheat- 
ing in  their  "gentlemen's"  game,  both  drew  their  knives, 
and  endeavored  to  win  by  force  what  they  had  failed  to 
accomplish  by  fraud.  They  had  halted  at  the  wrong  inn, 
however,  and  the  last  I  saw  of  those  travelers,  was  when 
they  mounted  their  horses  and  started  for  the  Southward. 

Aside  from  acting  as  landlord  of  this  hotel,  I  was  also 
provision  dealer  for  all  that  section  of  the  country,  killing 
and  quartering  my  own  beef  and  other  meats.  There  was 
at  this  time  a  man  named  Joseph  Cox,  who  owned  a  herd 
of  wild  cattle  in  the  Wateree  Swamp,  which  I  bought  from 
him  at  the  rate  of  one  dollar  per  head,  up  to  the  number 
of  fifty;  all  over  that  number  which  I  shot  would  be  clear 
gain  for  me.  The  Wateree  Swamp  was  a  tract  of  land,  ten 
miles  wide,  and  extending  some  thirty  miles  long,  or  to 
the  junction  of  the  Wateree  and  Santee  rivers  (from 
Statcsburg.)      Here  was  great  sport.     The  wild  cattle  were 


30  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

hunted  in  exactly  the  same  manner  as  the  deer,  which  lat 
ter  was  also  very  plentiful  in  this  swamp  as  well  as  tur- 
keys, coons,  pigeons,  etc. 

When  a  fat  beeve  was  required,  either  for  the  hotel  or 
market,  or  if  a  guest  wished  a  day's  good  sport,  I  could 
take  them  into  the  swamp,  and  unleashing  our  dogs,  give 
them  a  shot  at  some  large  game  before  they  had  been  half 
an  hour  in  the  stand.  And  here  it  might  as  well  be  stated, 
I  retained  the  exclusive  right  over  these  wild  cattle  for 
eight  years,  and  then  sold  it  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars, having  in  the  meantime  killed  off  somewhere  in  the 
neighborhood  of  two  hundred  head. 

I  also  had,  feeding  on  the  edge  of  this  immense  swamp, 
some  tame  cattle,  which  bore  my  mark,  and  never  pene- 
trated very  deep  into  the  vast  wilderness.  My  mark  on 
these  cattle  was  a  crop  and  hole  in  the  right  ear  and  a 
slit  in  the  left  ear.  This  drove  was  led  by  a  "bell-cow," 
which  was  a  very  gentle  creature,  and  a  matron  of  the 
herd  ;  but  she  at  one  time  got  into  very  serious  trouble. 

The  Wateree  River  flowed  only  a  short  distance  from 
our  side  of  the  swamp,  and  in  this  river  were  several  small 
islands,  to  which  the  cattle  could  wade  or  swim,  and  there 
feed  on  the  luxuriant  vegetation.  As  is  well  known, 
southern  and  western  rivers  are  liable  to  rise,  and  rise  very 
quickly ;  but  one  good  thing  they  subside  as  quickly. 

It  happened  one  day,  while  my  tame  cattle  were  out  on 
one  of  these  islands,  that  a  freshet  came  down  and  caught 
the  poor  creatures  in  the  flow;  they  succeeded,  however,  in 
reaching  the  main  land,  all  except  the  "bell-cow"  and  two 
yearlings,  which  were  jammed  in  the  debris  and  held  fast. 
If  it  had  been  anv  other  of  the  herd  than  the  "bell-cow," 
I  should  not  have  gone  in  search  of  it;  but  I  knew  the  sa- 
gacity of  the  beast,  and  had  also  quite  a  feeling  of  com- 
passion for  the  poor   creature;    so,  in   the    morning  of  the 


CAIT.    ROBERr    W .    ANDREWS.  3I 

second  day,  when  the  river  had  subsided,  taking  two  ne- 
gro boys  and  m\'  dogs  with  me,  I  went  in  search  ot  the 
lost  cattle. 

All  day  long  we  tramped  through  the  swamp,  and  at 
night,  just  as  dark  was  coming  on,  I  heard  the  tinkling  of 
a  bell,  but  it  appeared  to  be  over-head  ;  and  sending  one 
of  the  boys  to  investigate,  we  found  that  an  immense  raft 
had  lodged  upon  the  matted  grape-vines,  which  formed  a 
complete  canopy  over-head  ;  and  upon  this  raft  was  my 
bell-cow  and  two  yearlings.  Cutting  away  a  maple,  we  al- 
lowed the  raft  to  fall  to  the  ground,  and  by  severing  the 
caudal  appendage  of  the  bovine  creature,  as  it  was  that  by 
which  she  was  entangled  in  the  "flow,"  I  succeeded  in  sav- 
ing the  beast  and  my  two  yearlings. 

Becoming  somewhat  tired  of  the  monotony  of  hotel  bus- 
iness, I  bought  a  herd  of  thirty-two  horses,  and  started  for 
Charleston,  S.  C,  leaving  the  hotel  in  charge  of  my  clerk 
and  wife.  I  purchased  my  horses  for  ninety  dollars  a 
head  ;  one  of  them  I  thought  would  make  a  good  "runner," 
and  on  my  way  I  tried  him  as  I  did  each  one  of  the  herd. 
On  arriving  at  Santee,  we  met  with  a  swollen  river,  and 
found  it  to  be  nearly  seven  miles  across  the  ford.  There 
were  five  heavy  wagons  waiting  to  be  ferried  across  the 
turbulent  stream,  and  it  was  impossible  to  take  but  one  a 
day ;  therefore  I  had  nearly  a  week  to  wait  before  my 
turn  would  come  to  cross  in  the  "float."  Now,  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country,  was  a  man  named  Jacob  Staggers,  a 
rich  planter,  who  "worked"  a  thousand  negroes,  and  with 
him  I  "put  up,"  until  it  was  time  for  me  to  cross.  After 
the  second  day,  I  got  tired  of  the  quietness  of  the  place, 
and  said  to  planter  Staggers  that  I  would  go  up  to  Cam- 
den, and  try  to  cross  there  by  the  bridge. 

"Don't  you  do  it !  Don't  you  do  it !  You've  got  those 
'ere  horses  to  sell,  and  you  kin  sell  'em  right  here  at  this 


32  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

ford,  easier  than  you  can  to  take  'em  through  to   Charles- 
ton.    Why,  I'll  buy  some  on  'em  myself." 

"  How  many  will  you  buy?"   I  inquired. 

"  It  depends  altogether  as  to  how  high  a  price  you  set 
on  'em.  But  here,  give  me  the  pick  of  the  drove  for  six 
horses,  and  I'll  give  you  one  hundred  and  twenty  dollars 
per  head." 

•'  It's  a  bargain  ;"  and  we  shook  hands  on  it. 

"Now,"  he  said,  "I  haint  as  good  a  judge  of  horse- 
flesh as  my  'nig'  is;  and  I'll  let  him  pick  out  jest  the  six 
horses  that  we  want." 

This  suited  me  first-rate,  as  a  hundred  and  twenty  dol- 
lars was  paying  me  a  large  profit,  but  I  was  in  hopes  that 
the  slave  would  not  choose  my  "runner."  He  did  not; 
fortune  favored  me,  and  the  negro  overlooked  the  best 
horse  in  the  lot. 

While  sitting  at  the  dinner  table,  in  the  hospitable  man- 
sion of  planter  Staggers,  my  host  remarked  that,  "He  had 
a  pony  in  his  stable,  which  could  out-run  anything  in  the 
shape  of  horse-flesh,  that  traveled  on  four  legs,  between 
the  Virginia  line  and  Georgia." 

"  I'll  pick  a  horse  out  from  my  drove,  and  run  you  for 
fun  or  money,"  I  replied. 

"I  take  it,  Andrews;  I  take  it;  and  run  you  a  half  a 
mile  for  one  hundred  dollars." 

Now  this  was  somewhat  risky  business,  as  I  had  not  yet 
seen  the  horse  which  he  proposed  to  put  against  mine,  but 
having  made  the  bet,  I  was  in  honor  bound  to  fulfill  my 
part  of  the  bargain.  After  a  glass  of  wine,  we  went  out  to 
the  stable,  and  Mr.  Staggers  pointed  out  to  me  the  horse 
that  I  was  to  beat,  if  possible. 

"  It's  a  pony,"  he  says,  "  but  the  fastest  piece  of  horse- 
flesh in  the  whole  State  of  South  Carolina." 

"  Very  good.      Who's  going  to  ride  it?" 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.   ANDREWS.  33 

"Oh,  my  boy  here.  Trot  it  out,  Sam,  and  hustle  into 
the  saddle."  Then  turning  to  me  with  a  quizzical  look, 
he  said,  "  Which  one  of  your  old  skates  yonder  are  you 
going  to  ride?" 

I  was  a  little  bit  nettled  at  his  manner,  and  withal  some- 
what afraid  that  my  "  runner  "  would  not  equal  my  expec- 
tations. However,  there  was  no  help  for  it  now,  I  had 
gone  too  far  to  retract. 

My  saddle  was  too  heavy  for  racing  purposes,  as  it  had 
attached  to  it  "  bags"  and  holsters,  so  that  I  was  obliged 
to  borrow  a  light  one  from  Mr.  Staggers. 

While  I  was  girting  my  horse,  the  planter  said, 

"  I  make  it,  aside  from  the  hundred  dollars,  my  beast 
against  yours." 

"What!  a  hundred  dollars,  and  horse  against  horse?"  I 
asked. 

"  That's  what  I  offer." 

I  had  gone  so  far  now  that  I  could  not  back  down,  and 
accordingly  accepted  the  double  bet. 

His  "  boy "  was  a  first-class  horseman,  and  knew  the 
animal  which  he  rode  well.  I  was  somewhat  shaky  when 
I  vaulted  into  the  saddle,  as  I  was  not  sure  what  my  horse 
could  do.  The  race  was  for  about  half  a  mile,  or  up  the 
road  to  a  little  barn,  which  was  on  Mr.  Staggers'  planta- 
tion, turn,  and  back  again. 

The  negro  and  I  walked  our  horses  some  hundred  feet 
from  the  line  of  starting,  then  turned  and  dashed  for  it. 
We  crossed  the  line  ncck-and-neck  ;  in  turning  the  barn, 
I  had  the  inside,  and  led  him  by  about  ten  feet ;  on  the 
home-stretch  the  pony  made  it  up,  and  we  were  again 
neck-and-ncck ;  but  I  could  see  that  the  planter's  horse 
was  somewhat  winded,  while  mine  was,  comparatively 
speaking,  fresh,  and  I  felt   sure   ot    the  race.      Giving    my 


34  LIFE   AND   ADVENTURES     OF 

beast  the  rein,  I  shot   by   the   hne,  winning  the   race    by 
some  twenty-five  feet. 

"  By  G — d,  your  horse  runs  like  h — 1,"  exclaimed  the 
astonished  planter;  "  And  here's  your  money,  and  that's 
your  pony." 

The  day  on  which  the  race  was  held,  two  five-horse 
teams  drove  up  to  the  ferry,  and  their  cattle  were  com- 
pletely exhausted  ;  and  the  teamsters  applied  to  planter 
Staggers  for  assistance  in  furnishing  them  fresh  horses. 

"I  can  sell  ye  ten  horses,"  he  said,  "  but  I  don't  see  how 
we  can  trade  for  your  worn-out  beasts;  but  I'll  tell  you 
what  I  will  do  " — All  the  while  the  planter  was  winking  at 
me  to  keep  still. 

"  I'll  sell  you  ten  good  horses  for  a  hundred  and  thirty 
dollars  a  head,  and  will  keep  your  old  stock  right  here  on 
the  plantation,  and  fat  up  for  ye  if  I  can  ;  and  you  kin  have 
'em  when  you  come  back."  After  a  short  discussion  the 
teamsters  agreed  to  the  terms,  and  I  received  thirteen 
hundred  dollars  for  the  trade.  Planter  Staggers  posi- 
tively refused  to  accept  any  portion  of  the  money,  say- 
ing that  he  would  take  his  chances  of  the  teamsters'  not 
coming  back  over  that  route,  so  as  to  redeem  the  animals 
which  they  had  left  there  for  recuperation.  Some  years 
afterward  I  heard  from  Mr.  Staggers  that  he  had  judged 
his  men  correctly,  and  the  ten  horses  were  never  called 
for. 

I  had  now  disposed  of  sixteen  of  my  drove  of  thirty- 
two  horses,  and  that,  too,  at  a  handsome  figure  ;  and  the  ad- 
ditional fact  that  1  had  won  the  pony,  of  course,  made  me 
feel  quite  pleased  with  my  venture,  so  far  as  it  had  gone; 
and,  as  the  ford  seemed  to  offer  such  a  good  horse  mar- 
ket, I  determined  to  postpone  my  trip  to  Charleston  until 
another  time,  and  remain  at  the  planter's  for   awhile. 

One  day,  as  my  genial  host  and  mj'self,  were  sitting  up- 


CAPT.  ROBERT  \V.  ANDREWS.  35 

on  the  broad  veranda  of  his  hospitable  mansion,  a  young 
horseman  came  dashing  up  to  the  house.  At  his  first  ap- 
pearance, Mr.  Staggers  arose  and  hastened  down  the  short 
flight  of  steps  which  led  to  the  walk,  to  meet  the  new- 
comer, who  swung  himself  gracefully  from  the  saddle,  and 
grasped  the  old  gentleman's  hand.  After  a  few  hurried 
words  of  conversation  in  a  low  tone,  my  friend  and  the 
stranger  approached  the  place  where  I  was  sitting ;  the 
latter  first  throwing  the  bridle  of  his  horse  to  a  little  negro 
bo)%  who  stood  in  waiting. 

"  My  son,  Captain  Andrews,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Staggers, 
presenting  me  to  a  fine-looking  young  man  of  perhaps 
twenty-five  years  of  age. 

The  son,  who  was  the  pattern  of  his  father,  greeted  me 
very  cordially;  and  in  a  few  minutes  our  trio  was  launched 
in  a  most  interesting  conversation.  The  }-oung  man,  I 
learned,  owned  a  fine  plantation  some  ten  miles  from  the 
extensive  fields  of  his  father.  As  was  natural,  horse-flesh 
was  the  principal  topic  of  converse. 

"  I  heard  yesterday  from  one  of  my  boys,  that  my 
father's  pony,  which  was  thought  to  be  the  fastest  animal 
in  the  State,  had  been  beaten  by  the  horse  of  a  stranger ; 
now,  I  presume  that  you  are  the  owner  of  the  racer." 

I  assured  the  young  man  that  I  was,  and  ofi'ered  to  let 
him  see  my  property.   - 

"  It  is  the  object  of  my  visit  to  see  the  horse,  and,  if 
possible,  purchase  him,"  he  frankly  declared. 

"  Well,  he's  for  sale,  the  same  as  the  rest  of  the  herd," 
I  answered. 

Thereupon  we  walked  over  to  the  field  which  Mr.  Stag- 
gers had  kindly  placed  at  my  disposal,  and  proceeded  to 
inspect  the  drove. 

"  What  price  do  you  set  on  the  racer?"  inquired  the 
young  man,  after  ho  had  examined  the  animals. 


36  -  LIFE   AND   ADVENTURES   OF 

Without  an  instant's  hesitation,  I  set  the  price  at  three 
hundred  dollars  in  gold, 

"  And  how  much  for  the  pony?" 

I,  of  course,  was  obliged  to  offer  him  a  shade  lower,  so  I 
charged  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  the  beast  that  I 
had  won. 

"It's  a  trade.  Come  to  the  house,  make  out  a  bill  of 
sale,  and  you  shall  have  the  money."  And,  as  he  turned  to 
go  he  remarked  to  his  father,  "Now  I  know  that  I  own 
the  two  fastest  horses  in  this  part  of  the  country." 

This  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  was  by  no  means  a 
small  addition  to  my  funds,  which  that  very  day  was  in- 
creased by  the  receipts  from  the  sale  of  eight  other  horses  ; 
and  now  I  resolved  to  return  home,  and  trust  to  my  good 
fortune  to  enable  me  to  dispose  of  the  balance  of  the 
animals. 

So  the  next  morning  I  bade  "good-bye"  to  the  kind,  old 
planter  and  his  son,  and  started  for  home,  and  succeeded 
in  selling  the  last  horse  when  within  half  a  mile  of  my  own 
house ;  having  been  absent  scarcely  two  weeks  and  bring- 
ing back  a  good,  fat  purse.  After  a  short  stay  at  home,  I 
again  started  for  Charleston  ;  this  time  riding  one  horse 
and  leading  another.  I  went  in  the  company  of  two 
North  Carolina  merchants,  who  were  going  down  on  a 
trading  expedition. 

We  had  not  been  long  on  the  road  before  the  conversa- 
tion turned  on  horse-racing,  and  the  relative  merits  of  our 
animals.  This  kind  of  talk  could  not  last  long  without 
bringing  about  a  race.  One  of  my  companions  offered  to 
race  my  horse  for  fifty  dollars. 

Now,  I  always  prided  myself  on  having  good  horses,  and 
the  one  on  which  I  rode  was  a  fair  sample. 

The  distance  was  to  be  a  straight  dash  down  the  road 
for  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile.     The   only  judge  was 


CAPT.    ROBERT    \V.    ANDREWS.  3/ 

my  antagonist's  friend,  so  it  may  be  seen  that  I  was 
obliged  to  earn  everything  that  I  got.  My  horse,  how- 
ever, came  in  so  far  ahead  that  there  was  no  chance  for 
a  dispute;  so,  of  course,  I  won  the  fifty  dollars. 

After  this  little  diversion  we  proceeded  on  our  wa\',  and 
arrived  in  Charleston  without  further  adventure.  Here  I 
sold  my  two  horses,  one  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
and  the  other  one  for  one  hundred  dollars. 

On  my  return  home,  I  traded  for  a  fine  horse,  which, 
with  four  others,  I  hitched  up  to  a  wagon  loaded  with  cot- 
ton, and  helping  my  wife  up  to  the  box,  for  she  was  to  ac- 
company me  on  this  trip,  again  started  for  Charleston. 

On  passing  a  plantation  known  as  the  "  Ten  Mile  House," 
on  account  of  its  being  about  ten  miles  from  Charleston, 
on  the  Charleston  road,  the  man  of  the  establishment 
rushed  out  of  the  house,  closely  followed  by  a  long,  lank, 
raw-boned  woman,  shouting,  "  Hold  on,  that  team  !  Moid 
on  !  That's  my  Billie,  that  'ere  wheel-horse ;  that's  m\' 
beast !  It  was  stolen  from  me  nigh  onto  three  weeks  ago  ;" 
and  rushing  up  to  the  team  in  the  most  excited  manner, 
began  to  unhitch  the  horse  for  which  I  had  traded  only  a 
day  or  two  before  I  left  home. 

"  Hands  off  that  horse.  Stranger,"  I  exclaimed,  not  at  all 
liking  his  familiarity.  "  He  belongs  to  me,  for  I  paid  good 
solid  cash  for  him,  back  here  in  Sumter." 

He  heeded  not  what  I  said,  but  continued  in  an  excited 
manner  to  unharness  the  horse.  Now  this  was  too  much 
for  my  patience,  so,  springing  to  the  ground,  I  seized  the 
irate  planter  by  the  collar  of  his  coat,  and  hurled  him  un- 
ceremoniously into  the  ditch  beside  the  road. 

"  Now,  old  man,"  I  said,  as  he  was  struggling  to  his 
feet,  "  You  claim  that  Ixjrse  as  yours;  if  \'ou  can  prt)\'c  it. 
you  may  have  him,  though  I  bought  liim,  fair  and  square." 


38  LIKE    AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

"  Well,  that  horse  is  mine;  and  my  wife  yonder,  and  all 
my  neighbors  round  here-abouts,  can  swear  to  him." 

"If  that  is  the  case,  you  can  have  him,  though,  as  I  said 
before,  I  paid  good  money  for  the  beast." 

While  we  were  engaged  in  this  discussion,  two  gentle- 
men from  Sumter  drove  up,  and  indentifted  me,  and  re- 
membered my  buying  this  very  same  animal ;  and  it  was 
much  to  my  relief  that  they  happened  along  in  time  to 
corroborate  my  story  regarding  the  purchase  of  the  horse  ; 
as  it  would  have  been  a  great  disgrace  to  be  considered  a 
horse-thief,  (as  the  penalty  at  this  time,  and  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country,  was  death  at  sight,  for  such  an  offence ) . 

The  planter  hustled  himself  about,  brought  in  several 
of  his  neighbors,  and  between  them  all,  proved  that  my 
nigh-wheel-horse  was  his  property.  Of  course  I  had 
nothing  else  to  do  than  to  let  the  animal  go  ;  but  this  left 
me  short  of  one  horse  ;  and  not  daring  to  push  along  with- 
out a  full  team,  I  proposed  to  remain  over  night  at  the 
house  of  this  same  planter. 

He  was  willing  to  accomodate  me.  Why  should  he  not 
be?  I  had  brought  him  back  his  property,  inadvertently 
though  it  was,  and  he  was  willing  to  grant  me  accomoda- 
tion for  the  night,  which  I  accepted. 

The  following  morning,  just  at  day-break,  a  man,  with 
two  negroes  and  a  drove  of  horses,  drew  up  to  the  planta- 
tion ;  and  here  I  saw  a  chance  to  replace  the  stolen  horse. 
I  bought  one  from  these  parties,  for  seventy-five  dollars, 
and  proceeded  on  my  way  to  Charleston,  where  I  disposed 
of  my  cotton  advantageously,  and  reloaded  with  such 
eoods  as  were  marketable  in  that  section  of  the  country, 
through  which  I  was  obliged  to  pass  ;  and  after  my  wife 
had  made  such  little  purchases  as  she  desired,  we  started 
for  home,  taking  the  same  road  we  had  traveled  in  com- 
ing. 


CAPT.    ROBERT    \V.    ANDREWS.  39 

As  may  be  supposed,  our  progress  was  slow,  ni}-  team 
being  heavily  laden  ;  consequently  I  walked  a  great  deal 
of  the  time.  In  passing  the  house  of  the  man  who  had 
claimed  the  horse  from  me,  on  my  "down"  trip,  I  noticed 
somewhat  of  a  commotion.  There  was  a  saddled  horse 
standing  before  the  door,  and  as  we  were  passing  by,  a 
young  negro  boy  ran  into  the  house,  and  almost  instantly 
a  white  man  came  out,  and  vaulting  into  the  saddle,  rode 
leisurely  into  the  road. 

All  this  I  noticed  as  we  were  passing  by ;  but  the  fact 
that  a  stranger  on  horse-back  should  take  the  road  almost 
instantly  at  sight  of  us,  set  me  to  thinking  that  the  man  to 
whom  I  had  given  up  the  horse  was  not  yet  satisfied  that 
I  was  not  a  thief. 

My  negro  boy,  who,  by  the  way,  w-as  as  fine  a  man  as  I 
ever  saw  bearing  a  black  face,  drove  the  team,  and  my  wife 
was  sitting  beside  him  on  the  "  box,"  while  I  plodded 
along  as  usual  on  foot. 

We  had  covered  probably  a  mile,  when  the  man  whom 
I  saw  mount  at  the  planter's  house,  came  in  sight ;  he  was 
following  us  closely,  but  still  as  though  he  cared  little  to 
ride  alongside. 

We  traveled  perhaps  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  with  the 
stranger  following  close  on  our  trail,  and  I  was  about  ready 
to  change  places  with  my  boy,  when  I  heard  the  clatter  of 
hoofs  coming  up  the  road  behind  us. 

Turning,  I  recognized  the  man  who  had  followed  us  from 
the  plantation.  I  rather  thought  that  there  might  be  some 
sinister  object  in  this  close  espionage,  and  therefore  order- 
ed my  teams  to  be  held  down  to  a  slow  walk,  this  allowing 
the  stranger  to  ride  up  alongside. 

"Where  are  you  going?  "  he  asked,  as  soon  as  he  had 
overhauled  us. 


40  LIFE   AND    ADVP:NTURES    OF 

"  I  don't  know  as  that  is  any  of  your  business,"  I  an- 
swered. 

"You'll  find  out  that  it  is  before  long,"  he  replied.  "You 
had  better  tell  me  where  you  are  going.  " 

I  looked  at  the  man,  and  he  looked  at  me  as  though  he 
was  either  a  sheriff  or  a  horse-thief;  and  not  knowing 
which  he  would  turn  out  to  be,  I  thought  it  policy  to  go 
up  to  the  tail-end  of  my  wagon  and  get  hold  of  my  rifle. 
Throwing  that  across  my  arm,  1  felt  comparatively  safe. 

Speaking  a  cautionary  word  to  my  wife,  and  telling  the 
boy  to  drive  ahead,  I  dropped  back  to  have  a  word  with 
the  stranger. 

"  Look  here,"  I  said,  "  I  see  that  you've  been  follow- 
ing us  pretty  close;  now  what  do  you  want?  Do  you 
want  anything  from  me? — or  what  is  it?" 

"  I  don't  want  anything,  my  friend,  any  more  than  com- 
pany on  the  road,  and  I  thought  I  would  like  to  travel 
with  your  party." 

"Well,  you  keep  a  good  rifle-shot  behind  us,  or  else 
you  and  I  will  have  trouble,"  I  answered,  tapping  the 
breach  of  my  gun  significantly. 

At  this  his  whole  demeanor  changed,  and  he  laughingly 
said,  "  I  want  to  know  about  this  horse  that  you  left  on 
your  down  trip,  and  where  you  got  it? — I  am  the  sheriff"." 

"  Why,  "  I  said,  smiling,  "  is  that  what  you  havebeen 
following  me  the  last  ten  miles  for?  Well,  the  planter 
back  yonder  could  have  told  you  all  about  it;  and  if  you'll 
ride  along  with  me  about  thirty  miles,  to  Sumter,  I'll  show 
you  the  man  whom  I  bought  the  animal  from." 

"  I  don't  think  it's  necessary,  "  he  replied,  reining  in  his 
horse.  "You  look  to  be  a  pretty  square  man,  and  I'll 
take  chances  on  it.  But  look  out  I  don't  catch  you  nap- 
ping, "  and  with  that  he  turned  about  and  took  the  road 
back  toward  Charleston. 


CAPT.    ROBERT   W.    ANDREWS.  4 1 

On  arriving  at  Sumter,  I  went  straight  to  the  man  of 
whom  I  bought  the  horse,  and  told  him  the  trouble  it  had 
made  me  on  my  trip  to  Charleston.  Without  a  word  of 
discussion,  he  paid  me  back  the  mone}-  I  had  given  him 
for  the  horse,  only  saying  that  he  had  bought  the  animal 
from  a  stranger,  whom  he  supposed  was  "  square.  " 

This  was  the  nearest  escape  that  I  ever  had  from  being 
convicted  of  horse-stealing,  during  the  many  years  that  I 
had  traveled  throughout  the  South  and  West,  and  nearly 
alwaj's  dealing  in  horses. 

I  had  scarcely  been  at  home  long  enough  to  recuperate 
my  strength,  and  begin  to  enjoy  the  comforts  of  home-life, 
when  I  was  called  upon  to  serve  in  the  capacity  of  a  detec- 
tive ;  not  so  much  of  a  detective,  however,  as  a  returner  of 
stolen  property. 

One  night  a  man  came  into  the  hotel,  and,  after  finding 
me  out,  asked  me  what  I  would  charge  to  hitch  up  a 
team  and  drive  him  and  three  "niggers"  to  Manchester — 
some  sixteen  miles  distant. 

Giving  him  a  price,  with  which  he  was  satisfied,  I  har- 
nessed up  a  team,  and  taking  on  board  the  white  man,  a 
negro  woman  and  two  children,  drove  them  to  Manches- 
ter, and  returned  home  on  the  following  day. 

On  the  evening  of  my  return,  a  gentleman  called  at  the 
hotel,  very  much  excited,  saying  that  his  partner  had 
cleared  out  with  twelve  hundred  dollars  worth  of  stock; 
and  that  he  would  give  a  hundred  dollars,  and  pay  any 
man's  expenses  who  could  locate  the  runaways,  or  bring 
back  his  share  (which  was  six  hundred  dollars)  of  the 
goods. 

"  What  have  you  lost?  "  I  inquired, 

"  A  girl  and  two  young  ones,"  he  replied  —  "  and   half 
on  'em  belong  to  me." 
4 


42  LIFE    AND   ADVENTURES    OF 

"  Why,  was  it  a  tall  young  fellow,  with  a  mulatto  and 
two  boys?  " 

"  Yes;  have  you  seen  them?  " 

"  I  think  so  ;  I  drove  such  a  party  to  Manchester,  yester- 
day," I  replied. 

"  They  are  the  ones  !  they're  the  ones  !"  said  the  stran- 
ger. "  A  hundred  dollars  for  the  job  ;  your  expenses,  aid 
take  my  horse.     Will  you  find  'em?  " 

After  a  short  consultation  with  my  wife,  I  agreed  to  go, 
expecting  that  the  chase  would  not  lead  me  more  than  a 
hundred  miles  from  home. 

In  an  hour's  time  I  was  in  the  saddle,  and  rode  almost 
night  and  day,  without  getting  on  the  track  of  the  fugi- 
tives, until  reaching  Montgomery,  Ala. 

Here  I  sold  my  horse,  as  I  had  found  that  those  of 
whom  I  was  in  quest,  had  gone  to  New  Orleans,  Tak- 
ing the  train  at  Montgomery,  I  arrived  at  the  Crescent 
City,  just  twenty-four  hours  behind  those  of  whom  I  was 
in  search.  Feeling  assured  that  the  absconding  partner 
would  place  the  slaves  in  the  market  the  next  morning,  I 
quietly  esconced  myself  in  the  hotel,  and  enjoyed  a  good 
night's  rest. 

The  following  morning,  while  in  conversation  on  the 
street  with  a  party  Louisiana  planters,  the  gentleman 
whom  I  had  driven  to  Manchester,  made  his  appearance. 

It  may  be  imagined  that  I  abruptly  broke  the  thread  of 
conversation,  and  renewed  the  acquaintance  with  my  for- 
mer passenger.  To  say  that  he  was  surprised  to  meet  me 
in  New  Orleans,  does  not  express  it — he  "  caved." 

"Now,  my  man,"  I  said,  after  he  had  somewhat  re- 
covered from  his  fright,  "  I  have  a  warrant  in  my  pocket 
for  your  arrest,  but  all  that  your  former  partner  wants  is 
his  share  in  the 'niggers,' which  is  six  hundred  dollars,  and 
the  expenses  of  procuring  that  sum.      If  you  will  settle 


CAI'T.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  43 

that  you  can  go;  if  not,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  give  you  in 
charge." 

"Wait    til)    after   the  sale ;    wait   till  after  the    sale,"  he 

^    said,  "  and  you  shall  have  the  money.     I   have  got  the  girl 

and  the  two  young  ones  in  the  market  this  morning,  and 

I  know  that  they  are  going  to  bring  a  good  price.     You 

can  come  with  me,  and  see  what  I  receive  for  them." 

Of  course  I  did  not  propose  to  allow  him  to  leave  my 
sight,  until  I  had  received  the  money  which  I  had  traveled 
so  far  to  obtain;  and  accordingly,  we  strolled  down  to  the 
"  Market." 

Here  we  found  a  large  building,  within  which  were  a 
row  of  benches,  ranged  along  either  side,  on  which  were 
seated  the  slaves,  who  were  to  be  sold  that  day.  There 
were  blacks,  mulattoes,  quadroons  and  octoroons;  field- 
hands  and  house-servants ;  mechanics  and  ladies'-maids. 
Some  were  as  black  as  Cerebus,  while  others  could  boast 
of  a  skin  nearly  as  white  as  my  own.  Among  this  motley 
group  were  found  the  mother  and  two  children,  who  had 
been  taken  from  Sumter  County,  South  Carolina,  to  be 
sold. 

The  sale  was  open,  and  "  lot"  after  "  lot"  were  struck 
off,  until  it  came  to  the  woman  and  two  children,  to  be 
sold  in  one  "  lot,  "  as  I  stipulated. 

"  Five  hundred  dollars,"  was  the  first  bid  ;  then  six  hun- 
dred ;  then  "one  thousand,"  from  a  voice  standing  away 
back  on  the  outskirts  of  the  bidders. 

"  Twelve  hundred,"  I  heard  on  the  right,  then 

"  Fourteen," 

"  Fifteen," 

"  Sixteen,"  and  there  it  held  for  some  time. 

Meanwhile  the  mother  and  children  were  anxiously  look- 
ing over  the  group  of  buyers,  and  wondering  who  was  to 
become  their  ne.xt  master. 


44 


LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 


"  Sixteen  "  hung  on  the  auctioneer's  tongue,  then 

"  Fifty,"   from   the   voice   that   had    placed  them   at    a 

thousand. 

Down  came  the  hammer,  "  Sold   for  sixteen  hundred 

and  fifty  dollars,  mother  and  two   children  !    Next  on  the 

list!" 

We  were  no  more  interested  in  this  sale.  It  simply  be- 
came necessary  to  transfer  the  property  to  the  purchaser; 
fifteen  minutes  was  sufficient  to  do  this,  and  before  twelve 
o'clock,  noon,  of  that  day,  I  was  on  my  way  home,  with 
six  hundred  dollars  for  my  employer,  while  my  expenses 
were  paid  by  the  runaway  partner,  Robert  Graham. 

On  arriving  home,  I  delivered  the  six  hundred  dollars 
to  the  former  half-owner  of  the  slaves,  and  received  from  him 
the  hundred  dollars  agreed  upon,  and  a  handsome  present 
besides. 

In  1835,  I  started  West,  to  visit  my  mother  and  sisters, 
who  had  settled  in  Conecuher  County,  Alabama,  traveling 
there  on  horseback. 

I  found  that  my  mother  had  been  dead  nine  years,  hav- 
ing attained  the  age  of  a  centenarian,  that  is  with  the  ex- 
ception of  four  days. 

Two  brothers  and  two  sisters  also  lay  beside  our  mother 
in  that  distant,  solitary,  burial-place;  and  still  another 
sister,  whose  body  should  have  found  a  resting  place  near 
those  who  loved  her  best,  was  missing.  Her's  was  an  un- 
timely death  ! 

Some  years  before  my  visit,  she  made  a  trip  to  Mobile, 
taking  with  her  her  youngest  son,  a  lad  of  fourteen  years 
of  age,  whom  she  placed  in  a  "  French  "  school  in  that  city  ; 
and,  on  her  return,  while  proceeding  up  the  Alabama  river, 
near  Selma,  the  steamer  took  fire,  and  all,  save  the  captain 
and  two  passengers,  were  lost.  The  boy,  who  was  placed 
at  school  in  Mobile,  has  never  since  been  heard  from ;   but 


CAPT.    ROBERT   \V.    ANDREWS.  45 

his  property,  amounting  to  six  hundred  acres  of  land,  and, 
at  that  time,  some  two  thousand  dollars  in  cash,  has  ever 
since  been  been  held  in  trust,  and  is  awaiting  the  rightful 
owner. 

I  found  in  Conecuher  County  several  nieces  and  nephews, 
but  none  of  those  of  whom  I  had  gone  in  search;  and  I 
again  turned  my  face  eastward,  more  fully  realizing  than 
ever  before  the  brevity  of  human  life. 

I  had  now  but  two  brothers  alive;  one,  Joseph,  who 
had  settled  in  Van  Zandt  County,  Texas,  and  who  is  at 
this  day  a  wealthy  cattle-dealer ;  and  Thomas,  who  had 
gone  to  the  Choctaw  country,  to  live  among  the  Indians, 
where  he  became  a  great  favorite  with  the  red  man,  and 
two  of  his  sons  married  into  the  tribe.  I  heard,  however, 
that  Thomas  died  in  1836,  leaving  a  considerable  amount 
of  property  to  his  children. 

Arriving  back  again  in  Sumter,  after  this  long  absence, 
I  was  grieved  to  find  my  wife  very  ill,  and  before  a  month 
had  elapsed,  she  died. 

I  then  sold  all  my  property,  and  went  down  to  Claren- 
don County,  and  bought  quite  a  tract  of  land  there,  which 
I  improved,  built  upon,  and  sold  the  greater  part  of  it  in 
small  lots. 

In  1838,  three  years  after  my  wife's  death,  I  married  a 
most  estimable  young  lady  of  Clarendon  County,  Miss 
Mary  Connors,  and  our  wedding  was  quite  a  romantic  one  ; 
as  the  parents  of  my  fiancee  strongly  objected  to  mc  as  a 
son-in-law,  for  what  reason,  I  am  to  this  day  at  a  loss  to 
explain.  However,  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  carry  m\' 
young  bride  away  on  horseback,  in  which  scheme  I  was 
assisted  by  two  uncles  of  the  lady;  and  the  Miss  Connors 
that  was,  is  the  Mrs.  Andrews  of  to-day. 

In  a  few  months  the  old  folks  had  learned  to  accept  the 
inevitable,  and  we  became  the  firmest  of  friends. 


46  LIFE   AND   ADVENTURES   OF 

I  lived  in  Clarendon  sonic  twelve  years,  and  then  moved 
back  to  Sumter,  where  I  purchased  four  acres  of  valuable 
land,  which  I  still  own.  I  had  scarcely  got  settled  in  my 
new  home,  when  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Butler,  who 
drove  a  stage  line  from  Sumter  to  Gadsden's,  employed  me 
to  take  charge  of  his  business. 

After  the  first  year,  I  bought  out  Mr.  Butler,  as  I  could 
see  that  there  was  money  to  be  made  in  staging  and  team- 
ing. I  had  also  received  a  contract  for  carrying  the 
United  States  mail,  and  it  may  be  here  stated  that  while 
engaged  in  this  express  and  stage  business,  I  established  a 
freight  tariff,  which  is  in  vogue  to  this  day,  viz.,  ten  cents 
for  each  parcel,  whether  it  be  a  box  of  cigars  or  a  hogs- 
head of  molasses. 

When  the  railroad  was  built  through  Sumter  County,  I 
went  to  Charleston  with  seven  horses,  and  traded  them  off 
for  an  omnibus,  getting  some  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
to  boot  on  the  bargain.  This  omnibus  I  ran  from  the 
depot  about  the  town,  delivering  passengers  wherever  they 
wished  to  stop. 

While  engaged  in  this  business,  I  was  also  running  several 
heavy  teams  over  the  road,  making  regular  trips  between 
Sumter  and  Charleston  ;  and  I  was  thus  employed  at  the 
breaking  out  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

I  joined  the  Confederate  army  as  a  veterinary  surgeon, 
and  was  assigned  to  Gardner's  Battery,  22d  South  Caro- 
lina regiment,  under  General  Hood ;  where  I  remained 
throughout  the  war. 

While  in  the  service  I  received  two  wounds,  one  in  the 
right  leg,  and  the  other  in  the  right  shoulder.  The  ball 
which  penetrated  my  leg,  I  extracted  myself,  while  the 
one  in  my  shoulder  was  removed  by  a  surgeon. 

My  oldest   son  was   also    a   soldier   in   the   Confederate 


CAIT.    ROBERT    \V.    ANDREWS.  47 

army,  he  serving  as  a  courier  under  Captain  Moseley,  24th 
South  CaroHna  regiment. 

Shortly  before  the  close  of  the  war,  I  was  commanded 
to  report  to  Captain  Orvens,  of  the  47th  Virginia  regiment, 
who  was  acting  quarter-master,  to  take  charge  of  a  wagon 
train.  The  train  consisted  at  this  time  of  six  teams,  driven 
b}^  negroes,  who  had  now  become  so  independent  that  they 
were  doing  about  as  they  pleased. 

On  first  taking  charge,  Captain  Orvens  told  the  drivers 
that  if  they  did  not  obey  every  one  of  my  orders,  they 
would  be  severely  punished.  I  had  very  little  trouble 
with  them,  however,  after  the  first  few  tiays ;  and  we 
worked  along  for  quite  a  while,  or  until  one  of  the  men 
gave  out,  and  I  entered  a  request  for  one  to  take  his 
place. 

Captain  Orvens  sent  v.ord  that  I  should  receive  one  from 
Florence,  South  Carolina.  In  a  few  days  the  man  arrived, 
and  with  him  a  pair  of  boots  and  pair  of  pants,  both  of 
which  had  been  stolen  from  a  merchant  in  Florence;  who 
had  sent  on,  if  possible,  to  recover  his  goods.  Now  it 
became  my  duty  to  report  the  fact  of  the  theft  at  head- 
quarters, and  I  at  once  received  orders  to  return  the  stolen 
property,  and  to  punish  the  offender;  which,  it  is  needless 
to  say,  was  done  in  the  conventional  manner ;  and  hereby 
hangs  a  tale. 

We  were,  at  this  time,  retreating  before  Sherman's  and 
Potter's  divisions,  and  it  was  only  shortly  after  my  chas- 
tisement of  the  negro  that  we  became  disbanded,  and  each 
man  sought  his  own  home  ;  I,  of  course,  returning  to  Sum- 
ter. 

Sherman  and  Potter  were  close  on  our  heels;  and  I  had 
scarcely  reached  home,  when  distant  firing  warned  us  of 
the  approaching  proximity  of  the  Federal  troops.  Most 
of  the  negroes  had  fled  to  the  advancing  army  ;  and  among 


48  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES     OF 

them  was  the  man  whom  I  had  punished.  Hearing  from 
one  of  my  own  blacks  who  had  been  within  the  Federal  lines, 
that  the  rascal  denounced  me  as  a  most  cruel  slave-driver, 
I  well  knew  what  would  be  my  fate  if  apprehended  by 
Potter's  troops,  who  were  advancing  toward  Sumter,  while 
Sherman's  were  bearing  off  toward  Columbia,  S.  C. ;  so  I 
thought  it  policy  to  lay  low  for  awhile. 

Doctor  China,  of  Sumter,  a  friend  of  mine,  was  very 
much  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  his  valuables  ;  and  solicited 
my  aid  to  secure  them  from  the  invading  army.  This  I 
offered  to  do,  providing  no  one  should  dictate  to  me  as  to 
what  course  I  should  pursue. 

The  doctor,  fully  aware  of  my  knowledge  of  the  state 
of  affairs,  the  location  of  the  on-coming  troops,  and  more 
particularly,  my  familiarity  with  the  surrounding  country, 
did  not  hesitate  for  a  moment,  but  placed  the  whole  of  his 
worldly  goods  in  my  hands. 

His  valuables  consisted  of  one  four-horse  wagon-load  of 
his  best  furniture,  a  nice  carriage  and  span  of  fine  horses, 
and  about  ten  thousand  dollars  worth  of  silver  plate,  jew- 
elry and  money.  He  also  sent  three  negroes  to  assist  me 
in  handling  the  teams. 

Bidding  my  wife  good-bye,  I  told  her  to  say  to  every 
one  who  made  any  inquiries  for  me,  that  I  had  gone  fish- 
ing, but  would  return  soon  ;  and,  by  all  means,  on  the  first 
approach  of  the  Yankees,  to  throw  herself  upon  the  mercy 
of  the  officers,  and  claim  their  protection. 

This,  advice  which  she  followed  to  the  letter,  proved 
the  saving  of  my  property. 

All  was  now  confusion  and  excitement ;  everyone  was 
hastening  to  place  their  valuables  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
invading  army,  and  all  kinds  of  vehicles  were  pressed  into 
service,  to  transport  goods  anywhere,  to  keep  them  from 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 


CAFT.    ROBERT   W.    ANDREWS.  49 

A  headstrong  captain  of  Confederate  militia,  organized 
a  volunteer  company,  and  with  two  "field-pieces"  and 
this  handful  of  men,  started  to  meet,  and  repel  the  advanc- 
ing forces. 

It  was  in  vain,  that  the  more  practical  citizens,  endeav- 
ored to  persuade  them  not  to  attempt  a  defense,  for  they 
could  see  that  it  would  only  exasperate  the  foe,  and  lead 
them  on  to  sack,  and  burn  ;  and  this  proved  to  be  the  case. 

They  planted  the  two  guns  well  down  the  road,  and,  as 
soon  as  the  advance  guard  of  "  Potter's  Division  "  came 
in  sight,  they  opened  fire. 

This  ambuscade  of  course  checked  the  advance,  but  it 
was  only  momentarily,  as  they  soon  detected  the  strength, 
or  rather  the  weakness,  of  their  opponents;  and  "  charg- 
ing "  the  little  battery,  quickly  overcame  them,  and  made 
prisoners  of  those  who  were  not  killed. 

These,  however,  were  but  a  few,  as  the  Yankees  were  in 
no  frame  of  mind  to  grant  much  quarter,  for  they  had  lost 
a  number  of  their  comrades,  shot  down,  as  it  were,  in  cold 
blood. 

On  came  the  troops ;  now  burning  and  destroying 
everything  before  them,  which  would  not  have  been  done, 
had  they  not  been  fired  upon ;  and  many  a  stately  resi- 
dence, the  pride  of  it's  owner,  would  otherwise  be  stand- 
ing to-day. 

My  faithful  wife,  heeding  my  advice,  reported  to  the 
captain  of  a  body  of  cavalry,  who  were  the  first  to  come 
up,  and  claimed  his  protection;  and  it  was  none  too  soon, 
as  I  afterwards  heard,  for  the  torch  was  just  about  to  be 
applied  to  a  large  lot  of  cotton  that  I  had  just  stored  in 
one  of  the  out-houses,  when  the  officer  interfered,  and 
stopped  the  continuation  of  destruction  ;  that  is,  in  my 
case. 

The  shrewd  woman  also  set  refreshments  before  the  ofii- 


50  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

cers,  and  placed  a  house,  which  I  had  completed  shortly 
before,  at  their  disposal ;  and  the  division  made  their 
headquarters  upon  my  place. 

As  may  be  supposed,  a  close  search  was  made  for  me  ; 
but  they  failed  to  find  Captain  Andrews,  although  I  was 
within  sight  of  their  camp-fires,  and  at  times,  could  hear 
the  voices  of  their  pickets. 

I  did  not  follow  the  long  train  of  refugees,  that  filed  out 
of  Sumter,  hurrying  away  with  their  valuables,  but  took  a 
road  by  myself. 

In  the  vicinity  of  our  home  was  an  extensive  swamp, 
known  as  Cedar  Bay,  a  tract  of  densely-wooded  land,  of 
perhaps  twenty-thousand  acres,  through  which  a  few 
"  blind  trails  "  wound  ;  and  it  was  into  one  of  these  paths, 
that  I  drove  the  doctor's  teams. 

It  was  difficult  work,  picking  our  way  along  the  rough, 
wild  road,  but  it  was  more  difficult  to  obliterate  the  marks 
made  by  our  animals,  and  the  wheels  of  the  wagons. 

This  was  the  labor  of  hours,  but  when  completed,  I 
would  have  defied  an  Indian  to  have  followed  the  course 
of  our  flight. 

Buried  in  the  heart  of  this  dense  swamp  we  waited,  as 
patiently  as  possible,  the  withdrawal  of  the  troops  from 
the  neighborhood.  The  most  that  I  feared,  was,  that  my 
negroes  would  go  out  and  betray  my  whereabouts,  in  the 
hopes  of  sharing  in  the  plunder;  and  this  fear  was  partial- 
ly realized  ;  for,  one  morning,  I  found  one  of  the  blacks 
missing.  He  had  taken  French  leave  during  the  night, 
and  I  knew  full  well  that  he  had  gone  to  the  Yankee  camp. 

It  now  became  necessary  for  us  to  change  our  quar- 
ters;  so  all  that  day  was  spent  in  finding  another  hid- 
ing-place, further  into  the  swamp;  and  after  removing  to 
it,  cover  up  the  traces  of  our  former  camp,  and  the  path 
by  which  we  had  left  it. 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  5  I 

The  negroes  who  remained  with  me,  seemed  honest  and 
faithful ;  but  to  make  the  more  sure,  I  told  them  fearful 
stories  of  the  wild  men  of  the  North ;  how  that  a  negro 
was  as  good  as  a  dead  man,  if  he  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Yankees;  in  fact,  I  worked  upon  their  feelings  to  such 
an  extent,  that  they  trembled  with  fear ;  their  eyes  nearl\' 
dropped  from  their  sockets,  while  their  white  teeth  clat- 
tered like  so  many  castanets. 

One  day,  after  being  in  the  swamp  nearly  a  week,  and 
not  having  heard  anything  from  the  soldiers  for  some  time, 
I  ventured  out  from  my  hiding-place,  to  reconnoiter. 

Picking  my  way  with  the  utmost  care,  I  reached  the 
outskirts  of  the  forest.  It  was  now  about  ten  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  and  all  seemed  still  and  deserted  as  I  stepped 
out  into  the  clearing;  but,  scarcely  had  I  passed  the  line 
of  trees,  when  a  loud,  coarse  laugh  on  my  right  hand 
caused  me  to  draw  quickly  back  into  the  shade.  Some- 
one was  in  the  vicinity,  but  whether  friend  or  foe  remained 
to  be  seen,  and  it  behooved  me  to  work  with  great  caution. 
I  plunged  again  into  the  wood,  describing  a  broad  circle, 
came  out  as  near  as  I  could  calculate,  where  the  owner  of 
the  voice  which  had  disturbed  me  was  sitting.  As  I  slowly 
worked  my  way  through  the  dense  underbrush,  I  saw  the 
bright  light  of  a  fire  flaring  up  through  the  trees.  It  now 
became  necessary  for  me  to  redouble  my  caution,  for  it 
was  life  or  death  with  me. 

Nearer  and  nearer  I  drew  in  to  the  camp-fire,  around 
which  I  could  count  four  forms;  and  as  I  approached  a 
little  more  closely,  I  could  see  that  they  were  dressed  as 
citizens,  which  fact  somewhat  allayed  my  an.xiety. 

"Yes,  the  niggers  fixed  the  old  man;  but  they  didn't 
git  his  money,  no  sir,"  I  heard  one  man  remark  ;  and  by 
his  dialect  I  felt  sure  that  he  was  a  South  Carolinian;  but 
it  would  not  ilo  yet  to  show  myself. 


52  LIFE   AND   ADVENTURES    OV 

"  How  did  they  do  the  job?"   inquired  another. 

"  Took  him  up-stairs  and  tucked  him  between  two 
feather-beds,  and  set  on  him;  they  wanted  it  to  look  as 
though  he  had  died  a  natural  death ;  but  it  wouldn't  go 
down.  The  Yanks  were  too  smart  for  'em,  and  to  their 
credit  be  it  said,  they  just  took  them  niggers  and  hung 
'em,  near  Capt.  Andrew's  place,  and  left  'em  there ;  where 
they  hang  now,  side  by  side." 

"Near  Andrew's  place?  I'd  like  to  see  the  old  man; 
wonder  where  he  is?" 

"  Here!"  I  answered,  stepping  out  into  the  light,  for  I 
felt  sure  that  this  party  were  friends. 

Click  !  click  !  click  !  went  the  locks  of  four  rifles,  while 
as  many  muzzles  were  pointed  towards  me. 

"  Hold  on,  boys  !  Hold  on  !  It's  I,  Andrews.  You  are  a 
pretty  lot  of  fellows  to  stand  watch.  I  have  been  listening 
to  you  talk  for  the  last  ten  minutes,  lying  close  enough  to 
almost  touch  you,"  I  said  in  a  jocular  manner,  for  I  recog- 
nized some  of  my  old  friends  and  neighbors. 

The  rifles  were  instantly  lowered,  and  I  shook  hands  all 
round,    anxiously  asking  for  the  latest  news. 

To  my  great  delight  I  heard  that  my  wife  and  children 
were  well,  and  that  my  property  had  been  spared ;  though 
I  felt  sorry  for  the  loss  that  my  friends  had  sustained,  for 
there  was  scarcely  a  house  left  standing  in  Sumter. 

"  It  was  all  our  fault,"  remarked  one  of  the  party.  "  If 
we  had  taken  your  advice,  and  not  tried  to  stop  five- 
thousand  men  with  pop-guns  and  school-boys,  the  Yanks 
would  not  have  meddled  with  our  stuff." 

I  eagerly  inquired  for  the  army. 

"  Oh,  they're  gone  for  good  ;  and  the  cussed  war  is  ended 
—  in  these  parts,  at  least;  and  I  for  one  am  glad  of  it," 
was  the  reply. 


CAFT.  ROBERT  \V.  ANDREWS.  53 

It  Is  needless  to  say  that  these  sentiments  were  heartily 
endorsed  by  all. 

"  Well,  boys,  seeing  that  the  coast  is  clear,  I  think  that  I 
can  come  out  from  under  cover." 

"  Course  you  can,  course  you  can,  Cap'n,"  spoke  up  an 
old  neighbor.   "What  have  you  got  in  the  swamp,  yonder?" 

*'  Oh,  only  a  little  stuff  belonging  to  Doctor  China  and 
myself.  And  if  }-ou  boys  say  it  is  safe  to  bring  it  out, 
we'll  go  in  and  find  it." 

I  was  assured  that  I  was  among  friends,  and  knew  every 
man  of  the  party;  so,  kicking  out  the  fire,  we  went  into 
the  Cedar  Swamp. 

It  was  nearly  daylight  when  I  reached  my  encampment. 
The  negroes  had  been  astir  some  time  ;  and,  faithful  to 
their  trust,  challenged  us  on  our  approach  ;  but,  finding 
their  master  (for  the  time  being)  among  the  party,  bustled 
about  to  serve  a  breakfast. 

Fried  bacon  and  coffee,  with  a  hoe-cake,  furnished  our 
morning  meal ;  and,  shortly  after  the  sun  arose,  we  had  the 
teams  hitched  up,  and  started  for  the  clearing. 

Our  trip  out  from  the  swamp  was  easily  accomplished, 
compared  to  the  tedious  and  laborious  journey  into  its 
dark  and  gloomy  labyrinth ;  which  had  been  performed  in 
fear  and  trembling  some  six  days  before ;  and  we  emerged 
from  the  forest  to  behold  a  scene  of  utter  devastation  ! 

Sumter,  that  I  had  left,  was  now  in  ruins. 

I  had  my  teams,  and  the  property  of  Doctor  China  in- 
tact;  but  where  was  I  to  find  the  owner,  that  I  might 
make  a  delivery  of  my  trust?  He  might  be  among  the 
missing. 

Turning  to  one  of  my  companions,  I  inquired  where  the 
doctor  was, 

"  The  Lord  knows,  I  don't,"  he  answered.  "  But  we'll 
go  to  the  town,  and  see  who's  left." 


54  I'IFE   AND    ADVENTURES     OF 

So  saying,  we  started,  the  two  negro  boys  driving  the 
four-horse  team,  while  my  four  neighbors  took  seats  in  the 
carriage.  I  drove  directly  to  my  own  house,  which  fortu- 
nately remained  standing,  a  monument  to  the  clemency  of 
the  Yankees ;  and  after  a  short  interview  with  my  wife, 
and  bidding  my  friends  of  the  camp-fire  good-bye,  I  went 
in  search  of  the  doctor. 

I  found  Doctor  China  standing  near  the  ruins  of  his 
once  palatial  residence,  fully  realizing  the  curse  of  war. 
Turning,  he  recognized  me. 

"  Cap'n  Andrews,  is  it  you?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  I  answered. 

"  The  money  !  The  plate  !  The  teams  !  Where  are 
they?" 

"  Safe,  and  under  cover,  at  my  place,"  I  rejoined. 

"Thank  you,  Cap'n;  thank  you.  You  have  saved  my 
children's  inheritance,"  and  the  tears  trickled  down  the 
physician's  face. 

It  only  required  some  two  hours  to  transfer  the  prop- 
erty back  to  the  doctor's  hands ;  for  the  saving  of  which  I 
was  well   paid. 

I  found  my  cotton,  and  my  wheat  field,  which  was  of 
about  three  weeks'  growth,  unmolested  ;  and  my  family 
stores  none  the  worse  for  the  invasion  of  the  Federal  army  ; 
save,  perhaps,  the  loss  of  a  few  fowl,  and  several  sides  of 
bacon,  which  I  would  willingly  have  granted  to  anyone  in 
need. 

Shortly  after  the  termination  of  the  war,  Iwas  appoint- 
ed chief  of  police,  of  Sumter;  and  while  serving  in  this 
capacity,  I  had  more  trouble  with  the  negroes  than  I  ever 
had  before. 

We  had,  in  Sumter,  a  somewhat  lawless  set  of  blacks. 
They  had  obtained  their  freedom,  and  proposed  to  take 
advantage  of  the  new  state  of  affairs,  to  make  it  uncom- 


CAIT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  55 

fortable  for  the  white  officials.  Now,  in  the  position  of 
chief,  it  became  my  duty  to  keep  these  people  within 
bounds  ;  and  at  times  it  was  very  unpleasent. 

I  remember  distinctly  one  night,  when  one  of  my  offi- 
cers attempted  to  arrest  a  former  slave,  named  Tom 
O'Connor,  who  was  a  well-known  character  of  the  place, 
having  previously  belonged  to  a  gentleman  named  O'Con- 
nor, before  the  war.  My  man  had  more  than  his  hands' 
full,  although  he  had  got  his  prisoner  nearly  down  to  the 
jail,  and  just  opposite  the  court  house,  when  I  happened 
along. 

Noting  the  scuffle,  I  went  to  the  assistance  of  my  sub- 
ordinate. 

''Come,  Tom."  I  remarked,  "You'd  better  go  along 
quietly,  and  avoid  trouble." 

I  had  in  my  hand  a  light  sword-cane,  which  at  one  time 
belonged  to  Gen.  Sumter,  and  had  been  presented  to  me 
by  that  gentleman's  grandson. 

Scarcely  had  I  spoken  to  the  irate  negro,  than  he  grasp- 
ed my  cane,  and,  unsheathing  it,  struck  me  over  the  head 
with  the  scabbard,  making  a  wound,  the  scar  of  which,  I 
carry  to  this  day.  Attempting  a  second  assault,  I  met 
him  with  the  blade,  which  passed  completely  through  his 
body. 

He  appeared  not  to  feel  the  wound  for  several  moments, 
and  continued  the  fight. 

Not  daring  to  strike  him  again,  I  threw  the  sword  aside 
and  grappled  with  the  man  ;  but,  hardly  had  I  clinched 
with  him,  than  I  could  feel  his  strength  failing;  and,  after 
subduing  him,  I  called  for  assistance  to  convey  him  to  the 
court  house,  the  door  of  which  was  standing  oi)eii.  Mr. 
Thomas  Coughlin,  the  sheriff,  who  had  from  his  window, 
been  a  witness  of  the  melee,  received  the  prisoner;    and 


56  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES     OF 

the  wound,  which  I  had  administered,  was  promptly  at- 
tended to. 

Fortunately,  my  blade  failed  to  reach  a  vital  part,  and 
today,  Thomas  O'Connor,  colored,  is  one  of  the  finest 
friends  that  I  have  in  Sumter. 

During  the  time  in  which  I  served  as  chief  of  police,  I 
was  often  placed  in  an  antagonistic  position  to  the  negroes  ; 
perhaps  the  most  disagreeable  one,  was  shortly  after  the 
law  was  passed  prohibiting  the  keeping  open  of  places  of 
amusement,  dances,  etc.,  after  twelve  o'clock,  midnight. 

Several  times  I  had  been  obliged  to  warn  the  "  boys  " 
to  be  careful,  not  w^anting  to  make  trouble  for  them ;  but 
they  failed  to  take  heed  to  my  advice,  and  one  night  it  be- 
came necessary  to  enforce  the  law. 

They  were  having  a  party,  and  a  jolly  good  time ;  just 
such  a  time  as  negroes  alone  can  have. 

I  visited  their  gathering,  in  the  early  evening,  and  cau- 
tioned them  against  keeping  it  up  too  late ;  and  they 
promised  to  conform  to  the  law. 

The  dance  was  an  out-door  affair,  a  regular  Southern 
"walk-around;"  nearly  the  entire  colored  population  of 
Sumter  were  present. 

Twelve  o'clock  struck,  and  they  were  in  the  midst  of 
their  jollity. 

One  o'clock  came,  and  no  attempt  to  bring  their  fes- 
tivity to  a  close.  Now  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  interfere, 
having  given  them  an  hour's  leeway. 

Riding  into  their  midst,  I  said,  "  Boys,  you  know  that 
you  have  kept  this  up  too  long.  Now,  stop  it,  and  go 
home." 

"Dat's  all  right,  boss  ;  but  we's  a  gwine  ter  shake  her  out 
until  mornin,"  cried  a  voice,  which  I  at  once  recognized  as 
belonging  to  Sam  Diggs,  a  leader  of  his  class. 

"Not  if  I    know   it,   Sam,"   I    replied,    swinging    myself 


CAPT.    UOHKRT    W.    ANDREW^.  37 

from   the  saddle,    and    grasping   the    "best    man"    of  the 
dance,  b\-  the  collar. 

"  You'll  come  with  me." 

In  an  instant,  as  may  be  supposed,  all  was  confusion, 
and  during  the  exitement  I  led  my  man  toward  the  jail. 

The  crowd,  however,  followed,  and  was  beginning  to 
make  it  somewhat  disagreeable  lor  me,  when  two  of  m\' 
officers  put  in  an  appearance,  and  dispersed  the  rabble,  to 
a  certain  extent. 

On  reaching  the  turn  in  the  street  which  led  to  the 
jail,  I  was  confronted  by  six  stalwart  blacks,  each  having 
a  revolver  in  hand,  levelled  at  me,  who  demanded  the 
prisoner. 

Relinquishing  my  hold  on  the  collar  of  the  man,  I  drew 
my  two  revolvers. 

"  You  can  shoot  as  quick  as  you  please,  but  before  I 
drop  you  can  swear  that  there  will  be  at  least  three  dead 
niggers  in  Sumpter.  Don't  you  move,  Sam,  or  you'll  be 
the  first  one,"  I  continued,  as  I  saw  that  my  charge  was 
about  to  take  advantage  of  the  interference  of  his  friends 
and  escape. 

The  firm  front  of  the  officer  of  the  law  prevailed,  ami 
without  futher  trouble  I  landed  m\'  man  safely  in  jail ; 
to  remain,  however,  but  a  few  hours,  simpl)-  long  enough 
to  teach  him  and  his  kind  to  respect  the  authority  of  the 
land. 

One  afternoon,  while  sitting  u{)on  the  veranda  of  my 
house,  I  noticed  quite  a  commotion  amongst  the  fowls  in 
the  garden.  I  knew  full  well  that  it  must  be  something 
extraordinary  to  cause  such  a  fliiltcr,  and  immcdiatcl}- 
went  to  investigate. 

It  was  down    in    a    little    vegetable    patch  ;    and    I    had 
scarcely  got  within  the  palings  when   I  iieard,  almost  tii- 
rectly  under  my  feet,  the  dreaded  sound  of  the  "  rattler." 
5 


58  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES   OF 

I  sprang  asidj,  but  not  quick  enough  to  avoid  the 
attack  of  the  venomous  reptile.  I  saw  him  jump,  and 
attempting  to  ward  off  the  blow,  I  received  a  wound  from 
his  poisonous  fangs  in  my  right  hand  ;  but,  before  he  could 
make  his  escape,  I  had  crushed  the  snake  to  death  with 
the  heel  of  my  boot. 

The  subtle  venom,  however,  was  coursing  through  my 
veins.  I  could  feel  it  tingling  up  the  arteries  of  my  arm  ;  it 
reached  the  throat;  my  tongue  began  to  swell;  and 
although  it  was  only  a  few  steps  from  the  house,  yet, 
before  I  reached  the  doorway,  it  was  well-nigh  impossible 
for  me  to  articulate,  so  powerful  was  the  poison  with  which 
I  was  inoculated. 

Staggering  to  the  sideboard,  I  drank  a  copious  draught 
of  raw  whiskey.  My  eyesight  had  begun  to  fail,  and  I 
stood  as  one  in  a  dream  ;  but,  knowing  that  I  must  deaden 
the  poison,  I  drank  more,  until  nearly  a  quart  of  raw  spirits 
had  been  consumed. 

Gradually  the  tingling  sensation,  which  had  pervaded 
my  whole  system,  died  away;  the  muscles  of  the  throat 
relaxed,  the  blurred  vision  faded,  but  still  I  was  weak  and 
exhausted. 

Meanwhile  my  wife  had  sent  for  the  doctor,  but  when 
he  arrived  he  found  me  nearly  recovered,  and  said  he  could 
do  nothing  further  to    assist  me. 

Before  sundown  I  was  about,  almost  as  well  as  ever; 
though  for  several  days  afterward  my  hand  and  arm  were 
very  lame ;  and  since  then  I  have  never  felt  any  incon- 
venience from  the  bite  of  the  deadly  rattle-snake. 

On  the  land  which  I  owned  in  Sumter  I  built  several 
houses,  to  accommodate  the  growing  population,  and  for 
many  years  I  remained  on  the  police-force,  and  busied 
myself  in  taking  care  of  my  property. 

After  resigning  my  position  as  chief  of  police,  in   1884, 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  59 

I  Started  on  a  trip  to  visit  my  brother  in  Texes,  taking 
my  two  youngest  boys  with  me  ;  this  time  traveling  b)' 
steam  cars;  but,  on  reaching  Mobile,  the  young  men  got 
home-sick,  and  I  turned  about  and  headed  for  home,  only 
having  remained  in  that  city  three  days. 

Arriving  at  Montgomery  I  proposed  to  send  the  boys 
the  remainder  of  the  distance  alone,  while  I  intended  to 
go  into  Florida,  on  foot,  merely  to  see  the  country. 

The  young  men  were  now  anxious  to  accompany  me, 
and  after  some  persuasion  on  their  part  I  allowed  them  to 
come. 

We  passed  through  the  principal  cities  and  towns  on 
our  way  to  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  where  we  remained  several 
weeks,  and  then  started  for  home,  walking  through  Savan- 
nah, Ga.,  Macon,  Ga.,  Augusta,  Ga.,  Columbia,  S.  C,  and 
hence  to  Sumter,  having  been  absent  from  home  a  little 
over  three  months. 

I  remained  at  home  only  ten  days,  and  on  the  seventh 
day  of  May,  1885,  I  started  on  my  first  long  journey  to 
the  North  on  foot,  with  my  little  dog,  Fido. 

I  traveled  through  Camberlin,  S.  C,  Lancaster,  S.  C, 
Charlotte,  N.  C,  Danville,  Va.,  Richmond,  Va.,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  Baltimore,  Md.,  Philadelphia,  Pcnn.,  New  York, 
N.  Y.,  Bridgeport,  Ct.,  New  Haven,  Ct.,  Springfield,  Mass., 
Worcester,  Mass.,  Marlboro,  (the  place  where  I  drove  a 
stage-coach  so  many  years  ago),  W'altham,  Boston;  then 
through  to  Portland,  Me.,  from  Portland  to  Wiscasset,  and 
up  the  river  to  Newcastle,  where  I  had  worked  as  a  ship- 
carpenter,  in  1815. 

I  had  traveled  the  whole  distance  from  Sumter,  S.  C,  to 
this  extreme  northern  State,  on  foot,  in  two  months  and 
sixteen  days. 

After  remaining  a  few  days  in  Newcastle,  I  did  not  care 
to  stay  longer,  as  the  place  seemed  strange  to  mc  ;    new 


6o  I.TFE    AND    ADVENTIRES    OF 

faces,  new  buildings,  stared  at  mc,  in  place  of  the  old, 
familiar  houses,  that  I  had  been  wont  to  see.  Even  the 
river  looked  unnatural,  and,  with  a  sad  heart,  I  turned 
ac^ain  toward  Boston,  to  visit  my  son,  with  whom  I  remain- 
ed until  August  fourteenth;  when  I  started  for  home,  ar- 
riving there,  accompanied  by  my  little  dog,  Fido,  Novem- 
ber second. 

After  making  a  short  trip  to  Charleston,  and  return,  ac- 
companied by  my  dog,  I  started  for  New  Orleans  ;  and  it 
was  on  this  journey  that  I  met  with  a  very  singular  adven- 
ture. 

While  walking  through  Georgia,  I  fell  in  with  a  trim- 
looking  negro,  who  wanted  to  sell  me  a  silver  watch,  and 
gold  chain.  Not  caring  to  buy,  I  suggested  the  trading 
of  my  "  Waltham,"  a  fine  watch,  which  I  had  received  in 
Hartford,  Conn.  After  a  little  bantering,  we  made  the 
trade ;  by  my  giving  him  five  dollars  to  boot. 

I  put  the  watch  in  my  pocket,  and  continued  on  my 
way  to  Montgomery.  Shortly  before  reaching  the  city,  I 
drew  forth  the  watch,  and  examined  it  closely.  To  my 
surprise  and  consternation,  I  saw,  neatly  engraved  on  the 
inner  cover,  a  man's  name  and  address. 

I  knew  then,  that  the  watch  must  have  been  stolen  ;  and, 
although  I  had  come  honestly  by  the  property,  I  felt  like 
a  thief,  and  would  no  longer  carry  it  in  my  pocket,  but 
placed  it  in  my  knapsack,  for  safe  keeping. 

Arriving  at  the  city,  I  sought  shelter  in  the  house  of  a 
widow  lady,  who  graciously  extended  a  hospitable  wel- 
come to  me,  for  the  night. 

But  imagine  my  dismay,  on  awaking  in  the  morning,  to 
find  watch  and  chain,  and  some  money,  which  I  had  stored 
away  in  my  knapsack,  missing. 

At  first,  I  was  very  much  incensed,  and  complained  bit- 
terly to  my  hostess  regarding  the  theft.     She  professed 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  6 1 

Utter  ignorance  of  the  whole  aftair,  and  offered  to  do  what- 
ever la\^  in  her  power  to  aid  me  in  recovering  the  stolen 
property. 

After  a  second  thought,  I  felt  relieved  to  he  "  quit"  of 
the  watch,  which  I  was  well-nigh  assured  had  been  pre- 
viously stolen  by  the  negro  ;  although,  by  this  transaction 
and  theft,  I  was   out  of  pocket  some  fort\"  dollars. 

As  ma}'  be  supposed,  I  did  not  care  to  stop  another 
night  in  the  house  of  this  agreeable  widow-lad\%  and  ac- 
cordingly took  up  my  quarters  at  a  hotel  near  b\-. 

While  registering  my  name,  the  clerk  observed  the 
handles  of  mv  two  revolvers,  which  I  carried  somewhat 
conspicuously,  as  was  my  custom,  and  asked  me  to  show 
them  to  him,  which  I  did. 

"  I'd  like  to  buy  one  of  those  weapons,"  he  said,  "  if 
you'll  sell  it  cheap  enough." 

"  They  are  not  for  sale,  "  I  replied,  returning  the  revol- 
ver to  my  pocket,  and  allowing  the  handle  to  protrude,  as 
I  was  wont  to  do. 

"  Well,  perhaps,  you  don't  know.  Stranger,  there's  a  law 
in  this  State  against  carrying  concealed  weapons,  and 
you're  laying  yourself  liable  to  arrest  by  toting  those 
shooters,  about." 

"  They  can  arrest  me  as  soon  as  the\'  please.  My 
weapons  are  not  concealed.  The\'  are  m\'  only  protection 
during  my  lonely  travels  ;  and  there  is  no  law  that  can  hin- 
der me  from  carrying  them,  in  this  State  or  any  other." 

"We'll  see  about  that,  old  man,"  returned  the  clerk,  a 
little  pettishl)^;  "  but  you've  got  to  give  up  those  weapons 
before  you  can  stay  in  this  house." 

"  I  never  have  found  it  necessary  to  part  with  these  use- 
ful traveling  companions  before,  in  order  to  stop  at  a 
hotel;  and  I  hardly  think  I  shall  begin  now,  at  this  late 
day,"  I  rejoined,  somewhat  tartly. 


62  LIFE   AM)   ADVENTURES    OF 

Bidding  the  covetous  clerk  good  night,  I  started  to  leave 
the  inhospitable  hotel ;  but  had  scarcely  reached  the  door 
when  a  police  ofificer  entered,  and  placing  his  hand  on  my 
shoulder,  said,  "I  arrest  you  for  carrying  concealed  weap- 
ons." 

"Arrest  me,  sir?"  I  said,  in  surprise.  "Very  well,  if 
I  am  guilty  of  carrying  concealed  weapons,  I  am  willing 
to  abide  by  the  consequences." 

"You  have  weapons  about  you,  haven't  you?"  de- 
manded the  officer. 

"  Certainly  I  have,  and  thev  are  not  concealed,  either," 
tapping  the  butts  of  my  two  revolvers,  which  were  plainly 
disclosed. 

"Well,  you  can't  call  those  concealed  weapons,"  he  ad- 
mitted, "and  I  think  we  can  let  you  go;"  and,  turning 
on  his  heel,  he  was  about  to  enter  into  a  conversation 
with  the  clerk  of  the  hotel. 

"  Not  so  fast,  officer,  not  so  fast,"  I  rejoined.  "  You 
have  arrested  me  for  carrying  concealed  weapons,  and  I 
demand  a  hearing  before  the  nearest  trial-justice." 

"That's  all  right,  old  man;  that's  all  right;  il  you  don't 
find  any  fault,  I  won't." 

"  But  I  do  find  fault,"  I  indignantly  replied.  "  You  have 
arrested  me,  and  I  want  to  know  whether  I  am  allowed, 
as  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  to  travel  through  the 
country  in  a  condition  to  protect  myself,  or  not." 

The  officer,  probably  seeing  that  "  he  had  barked  up 
the  wrong  tree,"  endeavored  to  treat  the  whole  'aftair  as  a 
joke,  but  I  refused  to  consider  it  in  that  light,  and  forced 
him   to  conduct  me  before  the  magistrate. 

Reluctantly  the  officious  policeman  walked  a  few  squares 
with  me  to  the  court-house,  where  he  was  oblied  to  "  en- 
ter his  case,"  which  very  much  embarrassed  him,  while 
I  enjoyed  the  confusion  he  manifested. 


CAPT.    ROBERT    \V.    AXDRF.WS.  63 

"Where  are  the  concealed  weapons?"  inquired  the  judge, 
turning  to  the  officer,  somewhat  quizzically. 

**  He  has  got  them  on  his  person,  sir,"  answered  the 
policeman. 

I  see  two  revolvers.   Has  he  an\-  other  weapons  about 
iimi  that  )ou  know  of?" 

"No,  sir." 

"  Then  I  do  not  see  wh\'  \ou  should  have  arrested  this 
man,  and  brought  him  before  mc  on  the  charge  of  carrying 
concealed  weapons." 

"  I  understand  Captain  Andrews  is  journeying  across 
the  country  alone,  as  his  papers  state"  (which  papers  I  had 
previously  submitted  to  the  justice),  "and  is  supposed,  and 
allowed,  to  travel  armed.  He  does  not,  as  far  as  I  can 
see,  lay  himself  liable  to  your  charge;  therefore,  Captain 
Andrews,  }'ou  are  dismissed,  and,  in  behalf  of  the  county, 
I  beg  your  pardon  for  the  inconvenience  to  which  you 
may  have  been  subjected  by  this  officer.  And  you,  sir, 
addressing  the  policeman,  "  had  better  report  at  head- 
quarters, to-morrow,  and  receive  some  instructions  in  the 
rules  of  police  service." 

Thanking  the  trial-justice,  I  went  directly  back  to  that 
same   inhospitable  hotel,  where  I  remained  over  night. 

The  following  morning,  I  bade  good-bye  to  Montgom- 
ery, and  proceeded  on  my  way  to  New  Orleans. 

Nothing  worthy  of  note  occurred  on  the  long  tramp,  and 
I  arrived  at  the  Crescent  City,  hale  and  hearty  as  ever. 

I  remained  in  New  Orleans  only  three  days ;  my  stay 
was  somewhat  abridged  on  account  of  the  small-pox  epi- 
demic, which  was  then  raging;  and  I  was  only  too  glad  to 
get  out  of  the  "  City  of  Marshes." 

On  my  way  home,  while  walking  through  the  State  of 
Mississippi,    I  lost  my  little  dog,  Fido  ;    m\-  f.iithful   com- 


64  in-E    AND    ADVEiNTURES    OF 

paiiion,  which  had  followed  at  my  heels  for  so  many  hun- 
dred miles. 

I  stopped  at  a  farm-house,  shortly  before  dark,  and  asked 
for  shelter  during  the  night,  offering  to  pay  for  the  same  ; 
the  lady  of  the  house  refused  to  accept  any  money,  and 
extended  me  a  cordial  welcome.  While  enjoying  my  eve- 
ning meal,  I  missed  Fido,  "Where  is  my  dog?"  T  in- 
quired. 

"  You  had  no  dog  when  you  came  in  here,  sir,"  replied 
my  hostess. 

"  He  was  with  me  half  an  hour  ago,  and  he  must  be 
near  about ;  for  he  never  leaves  me  for  any  length  of 
time,  unless  he  is  tied  up." 

Rising  abruptly  from  the  table,  and  thanking  the  lady 
for  her  hospitality,  I  took  the  back  road  in  search  of  the 
little  dog. 

"  Come  back  to  our  house  to-night,  Stranger,  whether 
you  find  the  dog  or  not.  We've  got  a  good  bed  for  you," 
called  the  lady  after  me,  as  I  started  down  the  path. 

After  walking  some  quarter  of  a  mile,  I  met  a  young 
white  girl,  and  inquired  of  her  whether  she  had  seen  a 
little  dog  of  Fido's  description. 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  seen  such  a  dog,  and  it's  up  there,  yonder, 
on  Crawford's  place.  They're  two  old  women,  and  they 
live  up  there  o.ff  the  road  a  little  piece." 

This  was  enough,  and  I  went  in  search  of  my  pet.  Ar- 
riving on  the  Crawford  plantation,  which  I  found  was  con- 
ducted by  two  maiden  ladies  of  questionable  age,  I  saw 
that  the  help  had  that  day  been  slaughtering  a  beef,  as 
the  skin  and  entrails  were  lying  about,  and  the  quarters  I 
noticed  hanging  under  a  shed. 

An  old  lady  met  me  as  I  was  approaching  the  house,  of 
whom  I  asked  the  whereabouts  of  my  dog. 

"  Well,  there  was  a  little  black  and  white  dog  came  here 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  65 

about  two  hours  ago,  and   my  sister,  fearing  it  was  going 
to  go  mad,  tied  it  up  in  the  house." 

"That  must  be  my  dog,"  I  repUed,  "And  I  reckon  I'll 
go  in  and  have  a  look  at  it."  And  not  waiting  for  an\-  in- 
vitation,  I  deUberately  walked  into  the  house,  where  I 
found  my  canine  friend  snugly  ensconsed  beneath  the 
chair  of  the  elder  maiden  sister,  who  was  busily  occupied 
in  putting  together  divers  squares  of  patch-work,  of  the 
most  incongrous  discription. 

"  I  have  come  for  my  dog,  madam,  which  I  sec  you 
have  there  with  you." 

"  Is  that  your  dog?"  she  inquired.  "  If  it  is  \'ou  can 
have  him  ;  but  I  rather  thought  it  was  a  strange  one  that 
was  wandering  around  without  an\^  master;  and  so  I  tied 
him  up  here  in  the  house." 

Thanking  the  maiden  for  her  solicitude  in  behalf  of 
Fido,  I  cast  him  adrift,  and  we  started  back  to  the  house 
of  the  hospitable  lady,  where  I  first  missed  in)-  faithful 
little  companion. 

"  You  couldn't  expect  anything  different  from  tliose 
people,"  remarked  my  hostess,  after  I  had  recounted  my 
experience  with  the  two  sisters.  "  They  are  mean  enough 
to  steal  corn,  and  yet  they  have  got  more  money  than  any 
other  family  here  in  these  parts." 

I  was  somewhat  weary;  and,  finding  that  I  was  in  com- 
fortable quarters,  I  proposed  to  remain  two  or  three  days ; 
making  known  my  desire,  the  lady  of  the  house,  ami  her 
husband,  who,  by  the  way,  was  a  genial,  old-fashioned 
southern  planter,  graciously  bade  me  welcome. 

As  maybe  supposed,  most  of  our  con\ersatiiMi  turned 
to  the  recent  war,  and  tlie  effect  that  it  had  exercised  up- 
on the  Southern  people. 

"  Captain  Andrews,"  remarked  my  host,  in  the  evening, 
as  we   were   sitting  by  his  cheerful   fireside,  "How  have 


66  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

you  found  it  with  the  'niggers'  since  the  war?    Do  you  think 
they  are  any  better  off  than  they  were    in  the  old  times?" 

I  was  obHged  to  admit  that  I  failed  to  see  wherein  the 
colored  man  was  much  benefitted  by  the  freedom  which 
had  been  conferred  upon  him  ;  for  I  had  witnessed  a  great 
deal  of  squalor  and  poverty  among  the  negroes  since  they 
were  left  to  shirk  for  themselves. 

"  I  never  believed  in  slavery,"  I  said  ;  "it  did  not  seem 
right  to  me,  although  1  have  owned  a  number  of  people; 
but  I  really  think  that  the  negro  and  his  family  were  bet- 
ter off  under  the  old  regime,  than  they  are  at  the  pres- 
ent day." 

"You  are  right,  Cap'n.  Then,,  the  negro  had  no  care 
whatever  upon  his  mind.  He  was  looked  after  as  care- 
fully as  a  man  now  will  look  after  his  valuable  horses. 
When  sick,  they  were  nursed  and  doctored.  They  were 
clothed  and  fed.  To  be  sure  there  were  many  cases  where 
the  master  failed  to  supply  the  wants  of  his  people ;  as 
you  will  find  it  to-day  with  teamsters  ;  they  do  not  all  take 
equally  good  care  of  their  stock ;  but,  in  the  main,  they 
were  well  provided  for." 

"  In  my  long  experience  with  negroes,  having  bought 
and  sold,  'raised  '  and  '  worked  '  hundreds,  I  always  found 
that  the  master  was  as  much,  if  not  more,  of  a  slave  than 
any  one  in  the  establishment." 

"  You  are  right  there  again,  Cap'n.  When  they  were 
sick,  who  nursed  them?  It  devolved  upon  us,  for,  as  you 
know  well,  a  negro  never  would  accept  medicine  from  one 
of  his  own  kind.  It  was  the  master  or  mistress,  the  over- 
seer or  his  wife,  who  was  obliged  to  watch  by  the  sick 
bed,  and  recruit,  if  possible,  the  life  which  represented  to 
them  so  many  hundred  dollars.  How  different  it  is  now," 
he  continued. 

"Yes,"  I  assented,  "the  negro  is  his  own  master;    but 


CAPT.  ROBERT  W.  ANDREWS.  67 

he  was  thrust  out  upon  the  world  hke  a  brute,  with  but 
little  more  capability  of  looking  out  for  himeslf  than  a 
child.  He  had  nothing  to  begin  life  with  save  his  free- 
dom ;  and  that  was  a  toy  whose  value  he  has  failed  thus 
far  to  appreciate  !" 

"Their  land  they  must  hire  from  their  former  masters, 
who  in  most  cases  charge  a  yearly  rental  amounting  to 
nearly  its  full  value,"  continued  my  host.  "We  furnish 
them  farming  impliments,  seed  and  mules,  for  which,  of 
course,  we  hold  a  lien  upon  their  crop ;  and  it  is  very  sel- 
dom that  they  can  raise  enough  in  a  season  to  clear  them- 
selves;  thus  they  are  continually  in  a  state  of  indebted- 
ness, while  their  families,  who  in  former  times  fared  well, 
and  were  care-free,  are  now  half  fed  and  scantih'  clothed. 
Now,  here  is  my  neighbor  up  the  road  a  piece,  who  owns 
some  seven  acres  of  land,  and  at  one  time  '  worked  '  six 
hundred  '  niggers,'  and  raised  as  much  cotton  as  any  man 
hereabout.  He  lost  all  his  stock  during  the  war,  but  he 
had  his  land  left;  and  he  went  to  work  and  built  little 
shanties  all  over  the  place,  you'll  see  'em  as  you  go  along, 
and  lets  them  out  with  the  land  to  the  '  niggers '  at 
three  dollars  an  acre  a  year,  which  is  a  darned  sight 
more  than  he  could  sell  the  whole  place  for  to-day.  So 
he's  made  money,  and  all  of  us  have,  as  to  that.  Now, 
my  little  piece  here  aint  more  than  a  couple  of  hundred 
acres,  but  it's  paying  me  more  than  double  what  it  did 
when  I   '  worked  '  fifty  '  niggers '  on  it."' 

My  host  spoke  the  truth  ;  fori  had  found,  during  my 
travels  throughout  the  South,  the  situation  of  the  negro 
to  be  exactly  as  he  had  described  it. 

After  remaining  two  days  in  the  house  of  this  genial 
couple  I  resumed  my  journey  towards  home. 

Shortly  after  crossing  the  South   Carolina  line,  1    was 


68  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES   OF 

overhauled  by  a  trim-looking  negro,  who  walked    along 
with  me,  and  entered  into  conversation. 

I  was  carrying  two  haversacks,  and  the  boy  kindly  vol- 
unteered to  relieve  me  of  part  of  my  load. 

"Let  me  tote  one  of  your  bags,  boss,"  he  said;  "  I'm 
goin'  a  big  piece  along  this  road,  and  I'd  like  to  give  you 
a  lift." 

I  handed  one  of  the  haversacks  to  the  man  ;  but,  know- 
ing the  nature  of  the  negro  in  general,  I  kept  a  sharp  eye 
upon  his  movements. 

We  walked  along  perhaps  a  mile,  with  Fido  trotting 
a  few  paces  ahead,  until  we  came  to  a  part  of  the  road 
which  led  through  a  heavy  wood.  Scarcely  had  we 
entered  the  path  beneath  the  shade  of  the  overhanging 
trees,  than  my  colored  companion  made  a  break  for  the 
brush;  but  he  had  not  covered  a  rod  before  the  report  of 
my  revolver  broke  the  stillness  of  the  forest,  and  "The 
coon  dropped  the  bag." 

He  plunged  into  the  shrubbery,  but  not  before  I  sent 
another  bullet  whistling  about  his  ears  ;  what  effect  it  had, 
I  know  not,  other  than  to  accelerate  his  movements,  for  I 
have  never  since  heard  from  him. 

Picking  up  my  haversack,  I  found  that  my  first  shot  had 
penetrated  the  bag,  and  consequently  must  have  failed  to 
wound  the  thievish  black. 

From  here  on  I  met  with  nothing  of  interest ;  and  in  a 
short  time  reached  Sumter. 

I     remained     at    home     but    a     few    weeks,    when    I 
again  took  the  road  ;    this  time  bound  to  Boston. 

It  was  the  second  day  of  April,  1886,  that  I  bade  my 
wafe  good-bye,  and  started  on  my  last  journey. 

I  went  over  the  same  ground  that  I  had  covered  on  my 
previous  trip,  that  is  as  far  as  Richmond,  Va.,  where  j 
broke  off  and  went  down  to  Northampton,  Va.,  to  enter  a 


CAIT.     ROBERT    W .    ANDREWS.  69 

law-suit  to  recover  some  property  in  that  county,  which 
had  been  left  to  me  some  }-ears  ago  b\-  nn-  father. 

I  was  not  detained  long  with  this  business;  and  again 
resumed  my  journey  to  Boston,  where  I  arrived  August 
27th,    1886. 

AH  along  the  way  I  met  with  very  friendly  people ;  and 
especially  those  belonging  to  the  newspaper  fratcrnit}'; 
this  latter  class  had  become  somewhat  interested  in  me, 
and  it  was  by  their  advice  that  I  determined  to  have  pub- 
lished a  history  of  my  life  and  wanderings;  which  they  felt 
assured  would  be  of  interest  to  the  public. 

It  is  my  intention,  if  spared,  to  return  to  Sumter,  South 
Carolina,  and  from  there  start  across  the  Continent  to  the 
Pacific. 

Although  old  in  years,  I  am  strong  and  heart)' ;  and, 
owing  to  a  life  of  temperance  in  all  things.  I  feel  capable 
of  accomplishing  the  two  long  journeys  which  1  contem- 
plate making. 

I  have  at  the  present  time  living  ten  children  ;  having 
been  awarded  to  me  in  all  twelve,  two  of  whom  have  been 
taken  away.  From  these  children  I  number  fifty-six 
grand-children,  and  from  these  again,  nine  great  grand- 
children. The  names  and  dates  of  birth  of  my  children 
may  be  of  interest  to  some  of  my  personal  friends  and 
will  be  found  in  a  special  place  in  this  book.  Trusting 
that  I  have  not  wearied  the    reader  with  the  recital   of  my 

adventures,  I  am, 

Very  respectfully, 

Cai'T.  ROHT.  W.  ANDREWS. 


■#  Glippirigs  frQnti  H^e  Press. 


[Atliiiita,  Ga.,  Chronicle^  1885.) 

Capt. 'Andrews  and  Fido  are  in  town. 

Yesterday  a  stout-looking  old  countryman  with  long, 
straggling  white  locks  and  beard  flowing  about  his  face, 
a  shawl  thrown  over  his  shoulders  and  held  togather  by  a 
long  clasp  pin  under  his  chin,  and  followed  by  a  small 
black  and  white  dog,  walked  firmly  into  "  The  Chronicle" 
sanctum,  A  brief  look  of  inquiry,  and  "  The  Chronicle" 
had  clasped  hands  with  the  celebrated  pedestrain  of  Sum- 
ter, South  Carolina. 

The  white  hair  was  longer  and  the  lines  about  the 
straight- forward  eyes  were  deeper,  but  the  grasp  was  as 
firm,  the  step  as  steady  as  before  the  last  thousand  miles 
had  been  told  ofi",  or  the  Cresent  City  had  been  checked 
off  on  his  note  book. 

Captain  Robert  VV.  Andrews  is  ninty-five  years  old. 
He  is  as  hale  and  active  as  most  men  of  fifty.  A  year 
ago  last  May  he  attracted  notice  to  himself  by  setting  out 
from  Sumter,  S.  C,  on  foot,  accompanied  by  his  little  dog 
Fido,  for  Boston,  where  he  had  relatives.  The  newspapers 
noted  his  progress  all  along  the  line,  and  by  the  time  he 
reached  the  Hub  of  "culchaw"  and  muscle  he  had  become 
a  national  issue.  Fido  shared  fully  the  trials,  pleasures 
and  honors  of  the  expedition,  and  received  due  attention 
at  the  hands  of  the  sensational  pencil-pushers. 

He  also  received  attention  from  the  street  gamins  at 
New  York,  who  on  one  occasion    crowded  about  the  old 


CA1>T.    UOHERT    \V.    ANDRKWS.  "1 


man  and,  having  cut  the  strin^j  by  which  Fido  was  led, 
were  hurrying  him  off  to  the  pound,  but  refrained  for  $2 
from  the  old  man's  scanty  wallet. 

Capt.  Andrews  says  he  profited  by  this  experience,  and 
henceforth  Fido  was  led  with  a  chain.  He  sa\-s  he  rode 
a  good  deal  on  the  street  cars  in  Boston,  and  Fido  relished 
the  change  from  walking  immensely.  Indeed  he  got  to 
jumping  on  every  car  that  come  along,  and  one  time  he 
was  carried  away  on  a  car,  and  was  lost  for  four  days.  The 
captain  thought  he  was  gone  for  good  this  time;  but  on 
the  fourth  day  he  found  his  master,  and  has  since  sta^-ed 
close  by  his  side. 

Captain  Andrews  has  always  lived  a  hardy  life,  and 
during  the  blockade  of  1812  drove  a  four  mule  team  from 
Statesburg,  S.  C,  to  Boston,  with  Southern  products,  and 
back  to  Charleston  with  cotton  and  woolen  cards  and  other 
things  that  could  not  be  gotten  round  by  water.  In  1812 
he  was  employed  in  a  woolen  mill  for  a  time,  operated  b)' 
Mr.  Seth  Davis,  of  Newton,  Mass.,  who  applied  to  the  hardy 
young  Carolinian  the  soubriquet  of  "  Buckskin."  When 
Mr.  Davis  saw  the  announcement  of  the  pedestrain's  ar- 
rival in  the  Boston  papers,  he  wrote  to  him  inquiring  if 
he  was  the  "  Buckskin"  of  181 2  ;  and,  if  so,  inviting  him  to 
visit  him.  Capt.  Andrews  did  so,  and  found  his  old  friend 
hale  and  hearty  at  the  venerable  age  of  10 1. 


(Troy,  Alalhima,  /'upei-,  iSS.^.) 

Captain  Robert  W.  Andrews,  of  Sumter,  S.  C,  the  great- 
est pedestrian  of  the  western  continent,  was  in  the  cits- 
Wednesday.  He  hatl  been  to  New  Olcans,  Floriila,  and 
points  South.  He  has  traveled,  all  over  the  North,  Fast, 
and  South,  within  the  last  twelve  months,  all  on  foot.  He 
is  now  in  his  ninety-fifth  year,  and  travels  from  twenty  to 


72  I-IFE    AND    ADVENTURES     OF 


twenty-five  miles  per  day,  with  no  companion  save  his 
faithful  dog.  He  can  read  a  newspaper  now,  without 
glasses. 


(Macon  Ga.,  Engiiirer-Sun,  Dec.  i,  1885.) 

"Do  you  see  that  old  man  walking  along,  yonder?  " 
asked  a  gentleman  at  the  depot,  yesterday,  of  an  "  En- 
quirer-Sun" reporter;  "  That  is  Captain  Andrews,  the  fam- 
ous pedestrian.  I  just  shook  hands  with  him,  for  the 
novelty  of  the  thing.'' 

The  reporter  looked,  and  saw  an  old,  white-haired  man, 
with  a  bundle  hanging  to  an  umbrella,  thrown  across  his 
shoulder,  walking  rather  leisurely  along  Randolph  street, 
A  little  black  dog  with  a  white  neck,  was  following  closely 
upon  his  heels. 

Captain  Andrews  went  to  the  Central  Hotel,  and,  after 
taking  dinner,  resumed  his  long  tramp.  Quite  a  number 
of  people  went  to  the  hotel  to  see  him,  and  hear  him  talk. 
His  mind  does  not  seem  to  be  very  clear  on  the  incidents 
of  the  war  of  18 12.  He  is,  apparently,  ten  years  younger 
than  he  claims  to  be,  and  walks  very  steadily  for  an  old 
man.      He  is  certainly  a  strange  man. 


{Boston  Globe,  Aui^ust  27,  1886.) 

Captain  Robert  W.  Andrews  of  Sumter,  S.  C,  well  de- 
serves the  reputation  as  a  great  American  traveler.  He 
is  now  96  years  old,  and  in  the  past  two  years  has  traveled 
upwards  of  7000  miles  in  his  pedestrian  trips  through  the 
country.  This  is  counting  for  the  long  trips  only,  as  he 
does  not  count  walks  of  100  miles  or  so. 

This  morning  the  captain,  looking  as  hale  and  hearty 
as  when  he  came  into  The  Globe  office  over  two  years  ago, 
was  again  seen   at  this  office,    and  extended  a  welcome. 


CAPT.    ROBERT    W.    ANDREWS.  y^ 

Although  the  captain's  age  is  96,  no  one  would  imagine 
him  to  be  over  60  from  his  looks;  and,  indeed,  there  are 
some  men  of  half  his  age  that  look  as  old.  He  is  a  very 
tall  man,  straight  as  an  arrow,  with  long  gray  beard  and 
moustache,  and  iron-gray  hair. 

He  was  born  within  thirteen  miles  of  where  he  now, 
resides  when  at  home,  in  Sumter,  S.  C. ;  and  at  present  has 
a  wife  and  eight  children  living  at  that  place..  lie  is  a 
grandfather  to  forty-six  people  at  Sumter,  and  has  one 
gj-eat-great-grand-child. 

This  makes  the  second  trip  of  the  captain  to  Boston  of 
late  years,  and  his  principal  reason  for  coming  is  to  see 
his  son,  O.  T.  Andrews,  of  Cambridge,  who  has  been  lo- 
cated at  Paine's  furniture  factory  for  the  past  eighteen 
years. 

For  this  trip  Captain  Andrews  started  out  on  May  15, 
with  his  face  turned  toward  Boston,  and  he  arrived  here 
on  August  27,  having  been  away  from  home  eighty-four 
days.  He  was,  however,  delayed  twenty-three  days  in 
different  places  along  the  route  by  rain  and  bad  weather. 

On  the  captain's  first  visit  to  Boston,  he  traveled  the 
distance  from  Sumter  at  the  rate  of  twenty-three  miles 
per  day;  but  he  found  that  this  was  a  little  too  much,  so 
on  the  last  trip,  that  has  just  been  completed,  he  averaged 
twenty  miles  per  day.  Tiiis  he  thinks  is  much  better,  and 
he  does  not  feel  the  effects  of  the  travel  nearly  so    much. 

For  the  past  few  years  the  captain  has  always  traveled 
in  company  with  his  dog  Fido,  and  he  says  that  he  derives 
great  comfort  from  the  companionship  of  the  dumb  ani- 
mal. Fido  is  a  dog  about  two  feet  long,  and  standing  a 
little  over  a  foot  in  height.  He  was  bred  in  Sumter  b)' 
Captain  Andrews,  and  is  now  about  six  )'cars  old.  He  is 
a  mixture  of  Russian  terrier  and  a  breed  peculier  ti)  the 
South,  which  closely  resembles  the  black  and  lan.  l-'ido 
6 


74  LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

is  black  upon  his  back,  vvitli  a  wliite  breast,  and  the  tan 
shows  around  his  eyes,  ears  and  mouth.  He  has  sharp 
Httle  black  eyes,  which  he  keeps  fastened  upon  the  old 
man  for  the  greater  portion  of  the  time.  Fido  is  the  cap- 
tain's inseparable  companion,  and  it  is  impossible  to  get 
him  away  from  his  master's  side  without  using  force. 

He  was  stolen  once  in  Troy,  Ala.,  and  once  at  Balti- 
more ;  but  the  captain  got  him  back  on  both  occasions, 
after  some  little  trouble.  On  this  last  trip,  while  the  cap- 
tain was  in  New  York,  some  naughty  boys  cut  the  string 
by  which  Fido  was  being  led,  but  the  captain  discovered 
his  loss  very  soon,  and  returning,  paid  the  urchins  two  dol- 
lars for  the  return  of  his  pet.  Since  that  time,  he  has 
used  a  small  chain  for  the  dog  instead  of  a  string,  when 
they  were  traveling  through  large  cities. 

Captain  Andrews  was  very  active  during  the  war  of  1 8 1 2  ; 
and  he  twice  drove  a  team  from  Statesburg,  S.  C,  to  Bos- 
ton and  return.  On  the  last  trip  he  was  detained  by  the 
authorities,  and  pressed  into  the  service  of  carting  gold 
and  silver  from  the  mint  in  New  York  to  Boston.  The 
captain  expects  to  publish  an  autobiography  in  a  short 
time;  and  hesaid  he  wanted  to  do  so  while  he  was  in  Bos- 
ton. He  signified  his  intention  of  staying  here  six  months, 
if  that  length  of  time  is  required  for  his  purpose,  and  that 
is  a  long  time  for  him  to  remain  in   one  place. 


Atlanta,  Ga.,  Constitution,  1886. 

Captain  Robert  W.  Andrews,  the  veteran  walker,  who 
has  counted  cross-ties  from  New  Orleans  to  Portland,  Me., 
reached  Atlanta,  Monday  night,  on  his  return  home  to 
Sumter,  S.  C.  Yesterday  the  "  Constitution  "  had  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  Captain  Andrews,  who,  although  old 
in  years,  is  a  boy  in  activity  and  energy.  The  captain 
looked  a  little  jaded  after  his  long  walk,  but  said  that  he 


CAl'T.    ROBERl"    W.    ANUKEW'^.  75 

was  feelinir  as  lively  as  a  cricket.  He  wore  a  <rra\'  suit  of 
w^oolen  clothes,  and  about  his  shoulders  luine  a  lar£re 
shawl,  pinned  at  the  throat.  His  feet  were  incased  in  a 
pair  of  brogans,  ample  in  size,  to  make  them  comfortable 
to  walk  in.  Apparently  they  had  ne\  er  at  an)'  time  in 
their  existence  been  on  terms  of  intimac}'  with  either 
blacking  or  brush.  They  were  red  and  dusty,  ant!  the 
heels  were  worn  oft'  to  the  initial  la\-er  ;  so  that  in  udlk- 
ing  the  pedestrian  came  down  on  his  foot  from  heel  to  toe 
at  a  single  stroke. 

"  And  you  have  a  dog  for  a  companion?" 

"  Yes,  and  he  is  a  good  one.  I  can  lay  down  and  sleep 
anywhere,  and  no  one  can  come  near  me  without  Fide 
knowing  it,  and  letting  me  know.  A  man  offered  me  the 
pick  of  a  half  a  dozen  horses  for  Fido  ;  and  another  one 
who  heard  the  offer  made,  said  that  if  I  traded,  he  would 
give  me  one  hundred  dollars  for  the  horse  that  I  selected. 
I  told  the  man  that  I  would  not  part  with  Fido  for  all  the 
money  and  horses  that  he  had.  \Vh\',  that  dog  has  got 
as  much  sense  as  a  man  !  When  I  was  coming  back  from 
New  Orleans,  I  returned  by  the  same  route  that  I  hati 
traveled  over  in  going,  and,  as  a  rule,  stopped  at  the  same 
houses  along  the  line.  As  soon  as  I  would  get  within  a 
mile  or  so  of  the  house,  Fido  would  run  aheatl  of  me,  and 
go  into  the  house,  and,  by  his  presence,  the  [)eople  wouKl 
know  that  1  was  coming." 

"  You  have  had  him  a  long  time?"  put  in  the  reporter. 

"  Yes,  I  owned  his  father  and  mother.  Fido's  father 
was  a  Russian  terrier,  and  his  mother  was  a  ficc.  He  will 
be  six  years  old  in  June  next.  1  take  good  care  of  him. 
and  he  keeps  fat  and  lively.  The  poor  little  fellow."  said 
the  captain,  patting  him  on  the  head,  "  wore  off  liis  toe- 
nails in  going  to  Portland,  and  one  of  his  feet  got  a  little 


•Ji^  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

bit  sore.  I  took  some  rust  off  a  piece  of  rusty  iron,  and 
rubbed  it  on  the  bottom  of  his  foot,  and  the  sore  place  got 
well.  He  moves  along  lively  on  the  road,  and,  I  think, 
stands  traveling  better  than  I  do ;  although  I  have  not 
been  sick  in  two  years.  I  came  very  near  losing  him  in 
Troy,  Ala.  He  ran  ahead  of  me  and  got  into  a  house 
where  I  had  spent  a  night  on  my  way  down,  and,  when  I 
got  to  the  house,  I  could  not  find  Fido  anywhere. 

After  making  much  inquiry,  and  feeling  very  sore  over 
the  loss,  I  learned  that  he  had  followed  a  lady  to  a  house,  a 
short  distance  away.  When  I  went  there,  I  found  Fido 
tied  with  a  piece  of  string  to  a  sewing  machine.  I  called 
him,  and  he  made  a  jump,  and  came  to  me  breaking  the 
string  as  he  jumped.  The  lady  gave  me,  as  an  excuse  for 
tying  him,  that  she  thought  he  was  a  mad  dog,  and  she 
feared  he  would  bite  some  of  the  children  in  the  house.  I 
think  that  was  a  lame  excuse,  don't  you?" 

"  Do  you  walk  on  Sunday?" 

"  No,  I  always  make  some  town  or  city  on  that  day, 
and  go  to  church.  I  am  a  Methodist,  and  attend  that 
church  whenever  I  can.  I  also  lay  up  when  it  rains.  I 
don't  want  to  take  the  chances  of  getting  sick." 

"  Do  you  propose  to  publish  a  book,  giving  the  history 
of  your  life?" 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  I  intend  doing.  I  was  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  will  have  something  to  say  about  that  struggle. 
After  that  war  I  went  North,  and  lived  in  the  States  of 
Maine  and  Massachusetts  until  1830,  spending  some  time 
as  a  sailor,  while  holding  my  residence  there.  I  was  also 
in  the  Confederate  army,  filling  a  position  of  veterinary 
surgeon  in  Hampton's  command.  I  was  wounded  twice, 
but  got  out  all  right." 

"  I  don't  want  to  run  you  off,"  said  the  reporter,  but  how 
do  you  stand  on  prohibition?" 


CAI'T.    ROBKRT     \V.    ANDREWS.  --J 

;  "Well,"  said  the  captain,  with  much  firmness,  "That  is 
something  that  I  do  not  take  any  stock  in.  I  have  al\va\-s 
taken  m\'  dram  whenever  I  wanted  it,  and  do  it  now.  I 
took  one  yesterday,  the  first  in  three  months.  I  felt  badly, 
and  I  took  a  little  whiskey,  and  now  I  am  all  right  again. 
I  have  refused  a  half  a  dozen  requests  to  join  prohibition 
societies,  and  never  intend  to  be  a  member  of  one.  But 
I  must  be  up  and  going,  as  the  gentleman  who  keeps  the 
hotel,  over  there  on  Loyd  street,  near  the  depot,  has 
kindly  invited  me  to  take  dinner  at  his  hotel.  Come  on 
Fido,  let's  go  and  get  some  dinner." 

The  dog  got  up,  wagged  his  tail,  shook  his  head,  mak- 
ing his  long  ears  flap  about  his  head,  and  the  captain  and 
his  faithful  companion  left  for  dinner.' 


^Richmond  State,  i8S6.) 

"The  first  time  that  I  ever  saw  Richmond  was  in  i8i2," 
said  Capt.  Robert  \V.  Andrews,  the  venerable  pedestrian, 
now  ninety-six  years  old,  as  he  was  about  to  leave  Rich- 
mond, this  afternoon,  for  Northampton  Count}-,  Va. 

"  Did  you  live  in  Richmond  then?"  asked  a  '  State  '  re- 
porter?" 

"  No,  I  did  not  live  here,"  answered  Captain  Andrews. 
"  I  passed  through  Richmond  on  my  way  to  Boston.  I 
drove  a  team,  and  carried  cotton  from  South  Carolina  to 
Boston,  during  the  war  of  1812." 

"  Notice  any  change  in  Richmond  since  then?"  inter- 
rupted a  bystander. 

"  Oh,  Lord  !"  he  exclaimed,  and  continuing,  with  a  smile, 
he  said:  "  I  reckon  I  do,  but  I  can  spot  the  old  i)laces 
very  well,  along  the  route  I  took." 

"  How  many  miles  do  you  make  a  day?"  was  asked. 

"  I  average  twenty  miles,"  he  said,  "  and  have  not  been 
sick  but  verv  little  during    mv  travels.    I  have  walked  from 


yS  LIFE   AND    ADVENTURES   OF 

New  Orleans  to  Portland,  Maine,  and  have  been  over  al- 
most the  whole  of  the  United  States." 

"What  is  the  object  of  your  trip  to  Northampton?"  a 
"  State  "  reporter  asked. 

"  I  am  going  there,  "  said  he,  "  to  settle  some  business. 
My  grandfather  died  there,  and  left  some  property ;  and  I 
am  going  to  see  about  it." 

"  It  must  have  been  an  old  land  grant,"  interjected  the 
reporter. 

"  Yes,  it  was  an  old  land  grant;  and  some  of  it  is  at  or 
near  Drewry's  Bluff,  in  Chesterfield.  My  mother's  name 
was  Rosa  Drewry,  and  I  believe  I  have  many  relatives  in 
Virginia  of  that  name." 

After  referring  to 'his  pedestrian  feats  through  some  of 
the  Southern  and  Northern  States,  Capt.  Andrews  put  on 
his  white  beaver,  and  grasped  a  small  walking  cane, 
whistled  for  his  dog  Fido,  that  has  been  his  companion 
for  five  years,  and  started  off  for  Northampton  County, 
from  which  'place  he  will  strike  out  for  Boston,  where  he 
has  a  son  living,  and  where  he  will  settle  down  and  write 
a  book  of  his  travels. 


{Atlanta,  Ga.,  Constitution,  Z),y.  25,  1SS6.) 

Captain  Andrews,  the  pedestrian,  will  leave  to-day  for 
Sumter,  S.  C,  his  home.  He  will  strike  out  down  the 
Georgia  railroad,  and  hopes  to  get  home  in  four  weeks. 
He  says  that,  after  remaining  at  home  a  few  days,  he  will 
leave  for  Northampton,  Va.  From  thence  he  will  go  to 
Washington  city  to  confer  with  the  publisher  of  his  book, 
and  then  go  to  Boston,  where  he  will  visit  a  son  of  his  who 
resides  there.  He  will  be  accompanied  on  his  trip  by  his 
faithful  Fido.  The  captain  was  the  recipient  of  much  at- 
tention yesterday   by  citizens  of  Atlanta,  who    wanted  to 


CAPT.    ROBERT    \V.    ANDREWS.  79 

hear  him  talk  of  his  travels  and  his  exploits.  He  talks  of 
walking  from  one  point  to  another,  a  distance  ot  several 
hundred  miles,  with  as  much  indifference  as  if  it  amount- 
ed to  going  only  a  block  or  two  "  to  see  a  man."  Yester- 
day Captain  Andrews  kept  his  legs  in  working  order, 
walked  about  the  city  viewing  the  sights.  Wherever  he 
went  he  attracted  much  attention,  and  his  exploits  as 
published  in  the  "  Constitution"  of  yesterday,  were  com- 
mented upon  generally  with  much  interest. 


(Sumter  Advance,  1886.) 

From  a  letter  received  from  Capt.  Robert  W.  Andrews, 
the  famous  walkist,  we  learn  that  he  is  at  present  enjoying 
himself  hugely  in  Boston,  with  his  son.  The  captain  says 
there  is  no  talk  of  hard  times  in  Boston,  and  that  the  peo- 
ple seem  to  spend  money  freely,  and  believe  in  having  a 
big  time  generally.  If  spared.  Captain  Andrews  will  cele- 
brate his  ninety-seventh  birth-day  July  fourth.  He  is  get- 
ting up  a  history  of  his  life,  which  will  be  given  to  the 
public  some  time  in  December. 


#  REFEiREiNGES.  # 


The  following  are  a  few  of  the  many  references  which  I 
have  accumulated  during  my  long  and  eventful  life.  As 
will  be  found,  they  come  from  all  classes — governors,  sen- 
ators, magistrates,  citizens  and  a  number  of  the  colored 
people  of  the  South.  The  originals  of  these  documents 
are  in  my  possession,  and  can  be  produced  at  any  time. 

Sumter  C.  H.,  Sumter  Co.,  S.  C,  1 
March  27,  1884.       j 

VVe,  the  undersigned  citizens,  certify  to  the  good  name 
and  unimpeached  character  of  the  bearer  hereof.  Captain 
Robert  W.  Andrews,  now  in  the  94th  year  of  his  age,  and 
a  native  of  this  (Sumter)  county.  He  was  engaged  in  the 
war  of  1 812,  and  also  the  war  between  the  States.  He 
was,  from  181 3  to  1830,  a  citizen  of  Maine  and  Massachu- 
setts, and  also  served  as  a  sailor  during  a  part  of  this  time  ; 
he  is  now  upon  his  return  to  visit  Maine,  Massachusetts, 
Washington  and  New  York,  on  foot,  and  is  worthy  of  all  and 
every  trust  confided  to  him. 

R.  W.  Durant,  Sheriff.  C.  E.  Bartlett,  Cash.  Bank. 

S.  A.  Norris,  Deputy  Sheriff.    S.  T.  Hair,  72  years. 
Marion  Sanders,  Trial  Justice   A.  White. 
T.  V.  Walsh,  Probate  Judge.     C.  H.  Morse. 
Dorr  &  Parmalle,  Publishers.  James  Griffin. 
H.  L.  Darr,  "Advance"  office.  Ex-Gov.  J.  L.  Manning. 
W.  H.  Cuttino,  Clerk  of  Court.  Myles  Moran. 
R.  S.  Bradwell,  D'p'ty  Clerk.  J.  D.  Weeks,  78  years. 
J.  A.  Whittimore,  P.  M.  J.  J.  Geddings. 


REKERENCKS.  Si 

J.  D.  Craig.  Abram  Ardis,  84  years. 

J.  P.   Andrews.  Judge  J.  B.  Fraser. 

F.  F.  Fischer,  U.  S.  Comni'r.  W.  J.  Carter. 
M.  G.  Ryttenberg.  ].  R.  Muldrow. 
S.  F.  Flowers.  B.  R.  Weeks. 
E.  P.  Ricker.  W.M.Graham. 
W.  R.  Delgar,  Auditor.  K.  C.  Green. 
C.  F.  Mason.  Marion  Morse. 
C.  M.  Hurst,  Not.  PubHc.  J.  D.  Blanding. 
C.  E.  Stubbs.  R.  1).  Lee. 

H.  A.  Hoyt.  J.T.Edwards. 

W.  W.  Wilder.  C.  S.  Darby.  Jr.,  M.  D. 

C.  I.  Hoyt.  J.  B.  Fraser,  Jr. 

J.  D.  Wilder,  School  Com'r.  G.  E.  Haynesworth. 

J.  F.  W.  Delome.  J.  H.  Earle. 

R.  F.  Hoyt.  M.  B.  Moses. 

Sandy  Simpson,  cl'd,  85  y'rs.  L.  N.  Barwick. 

A.  J.  China.  Chas.  Delome,  89  years. 

Gengnard  Richardson.  Henry  Haynesworth. 

D.  Rosendorf.  J.  P.  Brown,  78  years. 

J.  W.  Dargan,  Not.  Public.  I.  J.  Wilson.  R.  R.  Ag't. 

A.  W.  Suder.  J.  M.  Jennings. 

W.  C.  Ivy,  "Spirit  of  Times."  J.  S.  Richardson,  late  M.  C. 

G.  E.  Geroy.  W.  J.  Singleton. 
T.  J.  Toumey.  E.Solomons. 

G.  W.  Reardon.  Rev.  J.  L.   Bartlctt. 
A.  H.  Weeks,  Chief  of  Police.  R.  S.  Brand. 

R.  P.  Monaghan.  A.  A.  Solomons. 

T.  J.  Coghlan,  Ex-sheriff.  H.  W.  Gardner. 
T.  B.  Johnson,  late  capt.  30th  J.  N.  Corbett. 

Mass.  Volunteers.  W.  L.  Rej'uolds. 

James  G.  White.  M.  !•'.  Ilcwson. 

A.  D.  Ricker.  W.  II.  Phillips,  Sen. 

J.  A.  Dingle,  82  years.  J.  N.  P'ricrson. 


82  REEERENCES. 

F.  Frank  Wilson,  Atty-at-law.  M.  C.   Kavanaugh. 

J.  Frank  Pate.  J.  E.  Andrews. 

W.  F.  Haynesworth,  Altamont  Moses. 

R.  L.  Cooper.  J.  Keene,  75  years. 

Jno.  J.  Hughson,  M.  D.  W.  W.  Anderson,  M.  D. 

F.  M.  Mellett,  Trial  Justice.  W.  R.  Find. 

G.  E.  Richardson.  J.  W.  Buckner. 
S.  F.  Lenoir.  G.  Sumter. 

I.  N.  Lenoir,  Trial  Justice.      W.  J.  Atkinson,  Sen. 
E.  \V.  Morse. 


South  Carolina,  Sumter  Co. 
I   certify  that  the   foregoing  five  pages  contain  a  true 
copy  of  original  papers  this  day  exhibited  to  me  by  Capt. 
R.  W.  Andrews, 

Witness  my  hand  and    official  seal  this  3d  day  of  May, 
A.  D.  1886. 

(Seal)        W.  H.  CUTTING,  Clerk  of  Courts. 


Barritt,  Warren  Co.,  Ga.,  Dec.  31,  1885. 
The.  names  hereunto   attached   I  know  to  be  the   very 
best  citizens  of  South   Carolina.      In   the  list  of  honored 
names  are  some  of  our  most  prominent  soldiers  and  states- 
men, and  men  of  all  professions.  G.  W.  HOWARD. 


Stamford,  Ct.,  June  11,  1884. 
This  is  to  certify  that  Capt.  Robert  W.  Andrews,  of 
South  Carolina,  stopped  at  Stamford  on  his  way  to  Bos- 
ton, on  foot ;  and  he  has  made  the  trip  so  far,  enjoying  the 
best  of  health.  He  is  ninety-three  years  old.  Many  of 
the  persons  who  have  signed  his  certificate  before  leaving 
South  Carolina,  I  know  personally. 

CHARLES  S.  DARBY,  M.  D. 


references.  83 

Wedgefield,  Sumter  Co.,  S.  C,  } 

April  5,  1884.      S 

I  became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Robert  \V.  Andrews 
sometime  during  the  war  of  1812  with  Great  Britain.  I 
was  then  a  school-boy;  I  am  now  83  years  old.  He  was 
then  near  grown,  athletic,  and  strong  enough  to  manage  a 
wagon  and  team.  I  saw  him  drive  off  from  Mr.  W'm. 
Mayrant's  plantation,  near  Statesburg,  in  (then)  Sumter 
District,  S.  C,  in  company  with  several  other  wagons,  all 
loaded  with  cotton  and  fur ;  all  I  think,  chartered  for  Phil- 
adelphia. 

I  am  a  native  of  Sumter  County;  ha\-c  lived  here  all 
my  life  ;  have  had  much  to  do  with  the  public  offices  of 
the  County  (Clarendon  County  was  cut  off  from  Sumter 
County  during  my  time  of  holding  office),  until  retired 
from  age  ;  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  most  of  its  cit- 
izens, and  especially  with  ^/iis  gentleman,  wlu)  married  a 
connection.  He  has  been  engaged  in  several  avocations ; 
was  always  temperate,  industrious  and  honest,  and  hard 
working;  and  was  sometimes  absent  from  the  Countw 
Within  his  sphere,  he  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  his 
neighbors.  He  was  elected  as  captain  of  one  of  the 
militia  companies  of  the  Regiment  of  South  Carolina 
Militia,  Col.  Nettles.  I  think  John  Peter  Richardson,  w.is 
then   governor  of  this  State. 

WILLIAM   L.  RICHARDSON. 

Wedgkfif.i.I),  Sumter  Ccutnty,  S.  C,  } 

April  27.  1886.  S 
I  recognize  the  within,  as  a  copy  of  a  certificate  I  gave 
my  friend,  Capt.  Robert  W.  Andrews,  when  he  was  going  to 
lioston.  in  the  year  i8<S4.  That  is  now  much  delai)itated. 
I  am  now  approaching  86  years  of  age,  and  hereby  re- 
affirm  what  is  said  within. 

WILLIAM   L.   RICHARDSON. 


84  REFERENCES. 

I  indorse  fully  and  most  cordially  all  that  is  said  above 
as  to  the  high  character,  great  age  and  worth  of  Mr. 
Andrews.  G.  P.  RICHARDSON. 

Present  Governor  of  South  Carolina. 


Since  the  date  of  the  above  certificate,  and  upon  another 
pedestrian  trip  from  Sumter  to  New  Orleans,  the  following 
names,  being  persons  found  upon  his  route,  have  added  the 
following  certificates:  — 

Haynesvivle,  Ala.,  Nov.  5,  1885. 
I  was  born  and  raised  in  South  Carolina,  and  have  known 
Mr.  Andrews  for  the  past  52  years,  and  indorse  the  above 
statement  of  his  character,  etc.,;  and  am  acquainted  with 
most  of  the  men  whose  names  are  signed  above. 

(Signed.)  JOHN  MURRAY. 

Atlanta,  GA.,Dec.22,  1885. 
I  have  known  Mr.  Andrews  for  the  last  forty-five  years, 
and  indorse  his  good  character.     I  know  most  of  the  per- 
sons whose  names  are  upon  his  paper. 

J.  D.  FRIERSON. 

Sumter,  S.  C,  Sept  14,  1885. 
The  bearer  hereof,  Capt.  Robert  W.  Andrews,  now  upon 
his  way  to  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  is  a  native  of  this 
(Sumter)  county.  He  was  born  on  July  4,  1790,  and  is  in 
his  ninety-sixth  year.  He,  in  1884,  walked  from  here,  via 
Washington,  New  York  and  Boston,  to  Portland,  Me.,  and 
returned ;  and  again  during  the  present  year  from  this 
point,  to  Charleston,  (100  miles)  and  returned.  He  is, 
without  doubt,  96  years  of  age;  having  carried  a  load  of 
cotton  from  this  county  to  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1812;  and 
served  in  the  war  of  18 12,  between  the  United  States  and 
England.     He  is  worthy  of  the  confidence  and  protection 


REFERENCES.  •     85 

of  all  good  people  along  his  route,  which  may  be  extend- 
ed to  Texas.  The  prayers  of  the  Christian  people  were 
offered  for  his  safety,  at  the  different  churches,  on  yester- 
day. S.  A.  NOKRIS. 

Sumter,  S.  C.June  14,  1S86. 
To  all  zvhoni  these  presents  may  come: 

I,  Marion  Sanders,  do  hereby  certify,  that  the  bearer 
hereof,  Mr.  Robert  \V.  Andrews,  is  a  citizen  of  Sumter 
County,  and  in  every  way  worthy  of  confidence,  and  re- 
spect. MARION  SANDERS, 

Sheriff  Sumter  Co.,  S.  C. 


Office  U.  S.  Com.m'r,  Sumter  Co.,  ) 
Sumter,  S.  C,  April  \%  1886.  J 
I  hereby  certify  that  1  am  personally  acquainted  with 
every  person  whose  name  is  signed  hereto,  save  one,  and 
they  embrace  all  parties,  creeds,  professions  and  religions, 
from  the  humblest  walks  of  life  to  the  very  highest  officials, 
executive  and  judicial,  in  the  State.  1  hereunto  add  my 
testimonial,  with  others,  that  Capt.  Andrews  is  not  only 
worthy,  but  is  the  most  remarkable  man  ofthe  age.  1  le  is 
doubtless  fully  as  old  as  he  claims  to  be,  and  the  histor\'  of 
his  life,  as  told  by  him,  will  be  found  strictly  true.  lie  is 
now  upon  his  fourth  great  pedestrian  trip  to  Northampton, 
Va.,  having  heretofore  walked  from  here  to  Portland,  Me., 
then  from  here  to  Charleston,  and,  again,  from  here  to 
New  Orleans,  having  traveled  over  seven  thousand  miles 
on  foot.  S.  A.  NORRIS. 

U.  S.  Commissioner,  Eastern  District,  S.  C. 


Sumter,  Sumter  County,  S.  C, 
March  2 J,  1886. 

We.  the   undersigned   colored   citizens  of  the   town  and 

county  of  Sumter,  have  known  Capt.  Robert  W  .  Andrews 


86 


REFERENCES. 


many  }'ears,  and  cheerfully  recomend  him  as  being  honest, 
and  entirely  deserving  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all 
with  whom  he  may  be  thrown  in  his  travels.  He  is  a  na- 
tive of  this  county ;  has  a  large  and  highly  respectable 
connection  here.  Has  always  been  a  laboring  and  indus- 
trious man,  making  an  honest  living  by  honorable  means; 
is  conservative  in  politics,  and  temperate  in  all  the  rela- 
tions of  life. 


G.  E.  Walker. 
W.  E.  H.  Weston. 
J.  J.  Nelson. 
J.  W.  Wright. 
S.  J.  Reece. 
A.  J.  Davis. 
David  Gillard. 
J.  E.  Leoran. 
Wm.  Kennedy. 
Robert  C.  Bentley. 
J.  A.  Chandler. 
H.  M.  Moore. 
A.  C.  Brown. 
J.  C.  Brown. 
F.  L.  Stewart. 
Henry  Richardson. 
Richard  Brown. 
Anderson  Rhoe. 
P.  P.  Johnson. 
A.  J.  Andrews. 
P.  A.  Saunders. 
M.  Peterson. 
C.  F.  Moses. 
M.  H.  Fields. 
Jacob  M.  Polk. 
N.  S.  Withers. 


Oliver  Boyd. 
Rubin  James. 
I.  S.  Douglass. 
James  Moses. 
C.  H.  Mitchell. 
H.  Clark. 
H.  W.  Waiters.' 
P.  Wise. 
James  White. 
Barney  Hamilton. 
Samuel  Hamilton. 
Samuel  Walker. 
Paul  Garey. 
Frank  Anderson. 
Richard  Green. 
Moses  Mercer. 
Stephen  Jones. 
Adam  Bond. 
C.  J.  Myers. 
Marcus  Sanders. 
J.  Cowell. 
Adam  Sledge. 
William  McDuffie. 
A.  B.  Dicks. 
Allen  Robinson. 
George  Crussin. 


REFERENCES. 


«7 


\\  illis  Davis. 
William  Starkes. 
Rubin  Muniphr\-. 
Armstead  Robinson. 
Legrand  Davis. 
Geo.  E.  Harriott. 
John  Britton. 
J.  B.   Ruffin. 
Oliver  Peterson. 


Ezekiel  James. 
Simeon  Pearsons. 
Jacob  Davis. 
Nichols  James. 
J.  Crey. 
A.  C.  Brown. 
Robert  Rass. 
Joseph  Delorm. 
Abraham  Ruffin. 


Columbia,  S.  C,  Ma)-  2,  1884. 
To  whom  this  may  concern: 

I  hereby  certify  that  I  have  known  Captain  Robert  W. 
Andrews  before  the  year  181 2.  That  we  li\ed  near  each 
other;  that  I  lived  then  at  Rafton  Creek,  with  Mr.  Polk; 
that  I  knew  when  the  said  Andrews,  in  1813,  drove  a  team 
and  several  wagons  and  buggies,  from  Scatesburg  to  Bos- 
ton, Mass;  that  I  know  him  to  be  upwards  of  93  j-ears  of 


age. 


Witnessed  by 
D.  A.  Straker. 


HIS 


BYNUM  X  MOORE. 

MARK. 


Columbia,  S.  C,  May  2,  1884. 
Dear  Old  Friend: 

I  send  you  a  certificate  of  what  I  think  \'ou   want,  and 

wish  you  all  success.     I  am  older  than  you,  and  hope  that 

if  you  succeed,  you  will  remember  an  old  friend. 

Yours  truly, 

BYNUM  "x  MOORE. 


MAUK. 


My  Ghildreri. '^ 


Henrietta  A.  Andrews,  born  F'eb.  i8,  1843;  married 
Mr.   N.  L.  Barvvick,  Dec.  14    1863;    died  July  22,     1884. 

Oregon  Texas  Andrews,  born  April  5  1845;  married 
Isabella  McLeod,  November    13,  1872. 

Augusta  S.  Andrews,  born  August  i,  1847;  married 
Abraham  Ardis,  Dec.  26,  1872. 

Mary  E.  Andrews,  born  July  29,  1849;  married  James 
Griffin,  Dec.  17,  1868. 

Robert  C.  Andrews,  born  Nov.  i,  185  i  ;  married  Irene 
A.  Bell,  April  15,    1872. 

Leonore  U.  Andrews,  born  Dec.  18,  1854;  married 
James  Phillips,  March  15,    1874. 

RhodaV.  Andrews,  born  July  21,  1856;  married  Edward 
Richardson,  Nov.   26,    1873. 

John   E.P.Andrews,  born   March   27,    1859;    single. 

Martha  R.  Andrews,  born  Nov.  5,  1861  ;  married  Robert 
Bradwell,  Nov.  17,  1883, 

Pinckney  E.  Andrews,  born  Nov.  20,  1863;  married 
Mamie  Scott,  Feb.  24,  1884. 

Rosa  A.  Andrews,  born  Nov.  20,  1865  ;  single. 

Joseph  E.  Andrews,  born  Mar.  27,  1868;  died  April  5, 
1868. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


f^  1  ^'ti 


(NTERLIBRARY  LJDANS 

FEB    2  1973 

Three  weeks  from  data  0l 
receipt  --  NonT^e2g)?^^l|! 

^    RBlfe 


Form  L9-100m-9,'52  (A3105)444 


THE  LIBRARY        ^^^. 

..DIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNU 
LOS  ANGELES 


HL 


-ndrews  - 


275  The  life   and 

k^lhkh     adventures   of 
Capt.  Robert 
irews 


M:L:  ':>^  1PSS 


AA    000  661  889    6 


C 
2 


/ 


